White Pumpkin Sambar

Sambar is a South Indian style of lentil stew made with vegetables, toor dal, tamarind, spices, onions, tomatoes. Some vegetables are traditionally used to make sambar like drumstick, eggplant(brinjal), pumpkin, Radish, Small onion, banana stem, Raw banana, carrots, beans, okra etc. 

Pumpkins are of in two different varieties white and orange color pumpkins. White pumpkins are rich in vitamins and minerals. White pumpkins are edible and watery.

 It tastes similar to orange pumpkin. Every vegetable have a unique taste to sambar. Sambar powder is another key ingredient for making sambar. Fresh ground sambar powder gives better taste. Tamarind gives tangy taste to sambar.

White pumpkins are used to make both sweet and savory. White pumpkins are used to make halwa, butter milk curry, sambar, and more recipes. Here goes the recipe of white pumpkin sambar…

Ingredients:
White pumpkin-1 cup(chopped)
Toor dal-100g
Tamarind- small gooseberry size
Garlic-3 cloves
Curry leaves-few
Red chilly-1
Coriander leaves-few
Mustard & urad dal-1tsp
Fenugreek seeds-1/4tsp
Small onion-4
Tomato-1 
Sambar powder- 2tbsp
Hing-1 tsp
Chilly powder-1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder-1/2 tbsp
Ingredients for sambar powder:
Coriander seeds-5 tbsp
Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
Pepper-6
Red chilies-1
Kashmiri red chilly-1
 
Method:

Method for Sambar powder:

• Heat a pan and dry roast coriander seeds, red chilly, cumin seeds, pepper separately and keep aside. 
• Add a spoon of oil while roasting red chilies. Allow it to cool and grind it to fine powder.

To cook dal:

• In a pressure cooker add tomatoes, toor dal, garlic cloves and turmeric with 2 glass of water. 
• Cook dal for 3 whistle and keep aside. Soak tamarind in warm water and extract the juice.

 

• Add some oil in a pan and heat it. 

• Add mustard and fenugreek seeds. When fenugreek seeds slightly changes color, add hing, chopped onion, red chilly & curry leaves. 

• Add some salt, chopped vegetable and sauté for few seconds. Add required water, sambar powder and chilly powder.

• Mix well and cook the vegetables. Add tamarind juice and cook for a minute. 

• Now add cooked dal and check for salt and mix well. Cook for a minute. Switch off the flame.

• Add some coriander leaves. 

• Serve hot with Idly, Plain rice & Dosa.