I walked into an almost empty kitchen on a lazy afternoon and wondered what's going to go into my tummy for lunch and "tada!", found fresh tomatoes, onions and garlic. just the ingredients we need to make my amma's quick thelivu thakkali sambar. Hero of the dish obviously being the 'juicy tomatoes'. This is one of the easiest sambar recipes you will find. The consistency of this dish should be thinner than the regular sambar recipes, hence called 'thelivu' in tamil.
Ingredients:
Method:
It's all done, garnish with coriander and serve with Rice or Dosai.
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| TAMILNADU THELIVU SAMBAR |
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup toor dal (soaked for 15 mins in water)
- 1 large onion - finely chopped
- 4 medium tomatoes - finely chopped
- 4-5 cloves of garlic
- 1/4 tsp of turmeric
- 1/4 tsp of asafoetida
- 1-2 dried red chillis
- 4-5 curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp chopped coriander
- 1/4 tsp of fresh tamarind paste
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/4 mustard seeds
- 1 cup of water
- 1/2 tbsp rock salt or as needed
Method:
- In a pressure cooker, toss in the dal, onion, tomatoes, garlic, turmeric and a pinch of asafoetida. Add 1/2 cup water or enough to cook the portion. Pop the lid and place in it on high flame for 1 whistle and 3-4 whistles on low flame.
- Let it cool, please don't mess with a pressure cooker, it's best to let it cool off at it's own pace.
- Pour the dal from the cooker into a vessel that's comfortable for you to mash it well.
- Now in a wok, heat oil for tempering with mustard seeds, once you hear the splutter, quickly toss the chillies, curry leaves, pinch of asafoetida.
- Don't let it burn, pour the mashed dal and remaining water. Add salt to it and stir gently. Allow it to simmer for 5 mins.
- Taste test - if you feel the sourness coming from the tomatoes, hold back on the tamarind. Else add it and allow to simmer for a few more minutes.
It's all done, garnish with coriander and serve with Rice or Dosai.