Tiffin Sambar / Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar

       This sambar is perfect for all tiffin items like idly, dosa, vadai, pongal, uthaappam, rava dosa, upma, masal dosa, sambar vadai n etc. For authentic taste and flavor the sambar should be tempered with ghee. Tempering with ghee gives more & real taste of Hotel sambar. But I used oil, adding ghee is purely optional, ghee will enhance the richness and flavor but anyway with oil also sambar tastes great. A Must Try recipe!!!

tiffin sambar with vegetables

Ingredients

1. Thuvar dal/Toor dal    150gm (3/4 cup)
2. pearl onion    10-12 no. OR Medium onion(sliced)
3. Tomato     1 medium(chopped)
4. Green chilli    2 no.(finely chopped)
5. Curry leaves      few
6. Tamarind Paste    1 tsp dissolved in 1/4 cup water
7.         OR
8. Tamarind     2" piece(soaked in warm water)                     
9. Jaggery     small piece
10. coconut     2 tbsp(shredded)
11. Mixed Vegetable - 1-2 cups (carrots, brinjal, yellow pumpkin,drumstick,potato)

To roast and Grind

1. Dry red chillies      3-4
2. Coriander seeds    1 and 1/2 tbsp
3. Curry leaves    1-2 twig
4. Urad dal       2 tbsp(i used broken,for whole reduce to 1 tbsp)       

To temper

1. Oil    2-3 tsp
2. Mustard seeds    1/2 tsp
3. Jeera/Cumin seeds   1/2 tsp
4. Fennel seeds    1/4 tsp
5. Hing    1/4 tsp

Method

• Pressure Cook Toor dal with turmeric ,few drops of castor oil and 2-3 cups of water,then mash the dal and keep aside.
• Heap a pan,add few drops of oil and roast all the ingredients under "roast and grind" and allow to cool and grind along with 2 tbsp of shredded coconut in a blender and keep aside.
• Heat ghee or oil in an available vessel, add all the tempering ingredients and allow to splutter,then add green chillies, curry leaves and onions and saute till onion get transparent.
• Then add chopped tomato and saute till it get soft and add the tamarind juice/extract and allow to boil for 2 minutes.
• Now add a small piece of jaggery , stir well and boil for another minute.
• then add the grounded coconut masala paste,1/2 cup water and stir well.cook covered for 3-4 minutes.
• And now add the cooked and mashed toor dal ,enough salt and enough water mix well and allow the sambar to boil .(cook in medium flame )
• when sambar starts boiling add some chopped coriander leaves and stir well and simmer for another 2 minutes and turn off the stove.
• Now the tiffin sambar is ready to serve .

Note:
If you increase or decrease the tuvar/toor dal amount ..plz adjust the spices and other items to that proportion.
If using vegetables, after sauteing tomato add the vegetables stir fry for a minute then add tamarind water and proceed.
Instead of onions you can also use pearl onions/shallots/chinna vengayam (10-12 no.s) for more taste n flavor.