Sambar / Lentil soup

Ingredients:

Kandipappu  / toor dal -1cup
Sambar powder - 2 tbs
Chintapandu / Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball
Carrots -2 medium size
Mullangi / parsnip - 1 small piece
Sorakaya / bottle gourd - 1small piece
Onion - 1big
Tomato - 1 big
Green chillies - 3
Turmeric -1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1tsp
Salt - 11/2 tsp
Oil - 1tsp

For tempering :

Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Split black gram - 1tsp
Jeera -1/2tsp
Whole red chilli - 1
Oil - 1tbs

• Wash and put the dall in pressure cooker by adding 3 cups of water and 1/2tsp of turmeric powder on medium flame until 6 wistles or until the dall is completely cooked.

• Cut the carrots,bottle gourd, parsnip , onion , tomato in bite size pieces and slit the green chillies .

• Heat 1 tsp of oil in pressure pan on medium heat . Once the oil is how add the slit green chilles and saute them for 10 secs (by doing this green chillies will spread their aroma) . Now add chopped onion and saute them until they turn pink colour .

• Add copped tomatos and saute it and cover it and cook it until tomato pieces turn soft and mushy . It took me just 2 mintues.

• Now add  the carrot , parsnip , bottle gourd pieces and saute once again . once they all are mixed well add water to it until all the veggies are covered .

• Cover it with lit and cook it until 1 wistle . And let it cool completely .
• Now mash the cooked dall until smooth and add the cooked veggies and bring it to boil on medium flame .

• Add 1/2 cup of water to the tamarind and put it in the microwave for 1 minute .
• When it tamarind is cooled little bit , extract all the juice from it.
• Now add the extracted tamarind juice , sambar powder , salt , chilli powder to the boiling dal and veggie mixture.

• Now do the tempering buy heating 1tbs of oil in a small skillet on medium flame . Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds , split black gram , jeera , whole red chilli . Once they start popping , add the tempered mixture to the boiling dal mixture. Now check for the final seasoning .

          Tadaaaaaaaa sambar is ready.

           Serve it with rice , idly , upma , vada ........
NOTE:
        - For measuring I used rice cup .
        - You can use other veggies like okra , brinjal / egg plant , munakaya , cucumber ......
        - Instead of using one big onion you can use small pearl onions also .
        -  I cooked the veggies in perssure cooked , you can also do it in sauce pot.
        - I never peel any veggies always cook them whole , If you don't like you can always peel .