Radish Sambar

Ingredients A

220gm toor dal (wash and soak for 20mins in water)
70gm brinjal, cut small
1 medium-size tomato, quartered
1 green chilli-slit in the middle

Ingredients B
3 dried red chillies, break into 2 or three parts
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 large Bombay onions, chopped
300gm white radish, sliced and cut in half
1 medium-size potato, cut small
1 medium-size tomato, chopped
1/2 tsp concentrated tamarind paste mix with 1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp sambar powder
salt to taste

Ingredients C
Tempering
1 tbsp melted ghee
2 dried red chillies, break into 2 to 3parts
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 curry leaf

Pressure cook 4 whistles Ingredients A. Leave the steam to release. Then smash the dal with the back of a spoon. Leave aside.

In a non-stick pan, add 1/2 tbsp oil, add in cut radish. Leave to cook both sides until slightly brown. Keep aside. 

In the same pan, heat about 3 to 4tbsp oil. Add in mustard seeds, dried chillies, cumin seeds, fenugreeks seeds and curry leaf. Stir for a while until mustard seeds start spluttering. Then, add in chopped onions and saute further until the onions turn brownies. Throw in chopped tomatoes and stir further until it turns slightly mushy. Then pour in the cooked dal, and give a stir. Once it starts boiling, add in cooked radish, potatoes, turmeric powder and sambar powder. Mix in tamarind paste as well. Give a few stirs. Add in salt to taste. Pour in about 2 cups of water and leave to simmer gently. This will ensure the raw taste of the sambar powder is not there. Simmer until potatoes have softened. Adjust the consistency of the sambar that you want with adding water or reducing the liquid. Close fire. 

For tempering: Add ghee or cooking oil, add in dried red chilli, cumin seeds and curry leaf. Once the curry leaf is crisp, pour onto the sambar gravy. Stir and serve with white rice.