The sambar, like avial, is packed with taste and goodness; and like the avial, it uses a lot of vegetables. The basic difference is that the sambar is a dal-based curry for pouring into the rice while the avial is a coconut-based side dish.

Ingredients
½ cup toor dal (Yellow Lentils)
½ cup masoor dal (Red lentils)
1 big snake gourd
8 cluster beans (amarakka)
6 lady's finger
6 small-sized colocacia
A medium-sized brinjal
150 g of cucumber
2 drumsticks
1 medium-sized potato
1 large onion
1 tomato
10 small onions
3 tsp of sambar powder
3 dry red chillies
¼ cup of tamarind juice
3 tsp of oil
1 tsp of mustard seeds
1 pinch of asafoetida
Salt
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves

Method of preparation
Put all the vegetables into a pressure cooker. Add dals, turmeric, salt and just enough water to cover the vegetables. Cook on a high flame till you hear a whistle. Turn the fire off immediately and do not disturb till the pressure settles.

When the pressure settles, open the cooker and add 2 or 3 tbsp of sambar powder, tamarind juice and asafoetida.
 
Stir. Heat the mixture for two minutes. Splutter mustard, dry red chillies and curry leaves in oil. Pour this into the sambar in the cooker and garnish with coriander leaves.

Recipe by Ms. Lyla Venu Kumar
Tel: +919895534383
Email: devoo_07@yahoo.co.in