Tiffin Sambar-Breakfast Sambar

I believe with all my earnestness in the proverb- “Well begun is half done”. While it surely does apply to all major aspects of a life, it also applies to your routine and everyday life.

Something as trivial as “Having a breakfast” before you leave your home is a second important factor that can impact your day in a big way, first of course being- sleeping well the previous night. I guess every homemaker spends considerable part of his or her day thinking and planning next day’s meal and breakfast is a vital part of this planning.

I recollect seeing my mother meticulously plan our meals from breakfast to dinner a night ago. Those meals were carefully designed by her considering the nutritional value offered by food and our nutritional requirements. It’s such an understatement to say that mothers are pure genius. Why do I say this? In today’s era, while we resort to Google for every piece of information that we require, our Mothers could plan our meals all based on their sheer conventional wisdom.  My father would leave home for work early in the morning at 4.30 and Mom would have his breakfast and lunch both packed for him before he would leave.

Our traditional Indian system of Medicine-Ayurveda and the modern day science both prescribe a healthy and filling breakfast every day for leading a healthy life. From my own experience I can say that many of our readers and viewers pay a lot of attention to breakfast recipes and they often post their recipe request for a quick and hassle free breakfast and snack recipe. I end up reading lot of cookbooks and food related articles pertaining to Indian regional food. While skimming through a cookbook related to Chettinad Cuisine that I possess in my bookshelf, I came across this recipe of Sambar and I have tweaked it a bit. As per the cookbook, this particular version of Sambar is more suited for Breakfast or can be served as a tiffin Sambar. It’s served with dishes like Medu vada, Rava Idli, Idli and Upma. An interesting fact about this sambar recipe is that it does not call for any Sambar Podi (or Sambar Powder). I am pretty sure; you would want to have a quick Sambar recipe in your weekly menu that can be prepared in a jiffy and will save you a lot of time.

I prefer eating this Sambar with Rava Idli as its grainy texture of Idli pairs up nicely with the spicy, sour and hot Sambar. At times I simply serve it with steamed rice and a dollop of ghee on top-pure bliss!

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Tiffin Sambar-Breakfast Sambar

Cook time:  20 mins

Total time:  20 mins

Serves: 3-4

Ingredients

• ½ Cup=125gms Pigeon Pea (Tuvar Dal)-washed and cleaned, soaked in water for 30 mins
• 1 Large=100gms Onions-cubed
• 2 Medium sized=150gms Tomatoes-cubed
• 4 Green Chilies
• ¼th Cup=60gms Pumpkin-cubed
• ¼th Cup=60gms Potatoes-cubed
• ¼th Cup=60gms Potatoes-cubed
• ¼th Cup=60gms Brinjal/Aubergine-cubed
• 1 Drumstick (Cut into 3 inch pieces)
• 1 small lemon sized Tamarind ball-soaked in ¼th cup water
• ½ tsp Mustard Seeds
• ½ tsp Cumin Seeds
• ½ tsp Asafoetida Powder
• ½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• 1 tsp Urad Dal
• ¼th tsp Turmeric Powder
• 2-3 dried Red Chilies
• 1 tbsp Chopped Coriander Leaves
• Salt
• 5-6 Curry Leaves
• 2-3 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 3½ Cups Water

Instructions

1. We will pressure cook Tur Dal. Drain excess water from soaked Dal. Put Tur Dal in Pressure cooker. Add 3½ Cups of Water. Add Turmeric Powder and stir well. Cover and pressure cook on medium heat. Cook on medium heat for 2 whistles
2. Dal is cooked well. Now, we will add all veggies. Add Drumsticks, Brinjal, Potatoes, Pumpkin, Tomatoes, Onions, slit green chilies and mix well. Pressure cook Vegetable with Dal on low heat. We are not going to take any whistles. Just Cook on low heat for 5 mins
3. Dal and Vegetables have cooked well. Veggies have retained its shape. Keep it aside. Let's now extract Tamarind Pulp. Squeeze soaked Tamarind. Pass it through a strainer. Tamarind Pulp is now ready
4. Put Dal and vegetable back on heat in a large Pan on medium heat. Add Salt to taste and Tamarind Pulp. Stir well and allow Sambar to boil on high heat
5. As it begins to boil, Cook covered on reduced heat for 5 mins.
6. Sambar has been simmering for about 5 mins. Let's make a Tadka. Heat 3 tbsp Cooking Oil in a Pan. Add Urad Dal and cook until it becomes light brown in color. Add Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida Powder, Fenugreek Seeds, Dried red chilies and curry leaves. Pour his Tadka now on Sambar
7. Finally add chopped Coriander leaves and mix well. Breakfast Sambar is ready. Turn off the heat and serve hot

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