Onion Sambar (ulli sambar)
Description
The Sambar is one item indispensable in the menu of all south Indians in general. Each region has it’s own variations of this popular curry. This particular type of sambar is generally made in central Kerala among the Nair families, and is considered to be a delicacy. It goes well with rice, dosas, idlys, upmas, and urad dhal vada. In this version of mine, I have used coconut.
Ingredients
- Shallots or Sambar onions (the small variety) : 1 cup
(de-skin, and cut into half vertically if very big) - Tomatoes chopped : 1 med
- Boiled tuvar dal : 1 cup
- Salt : to taste
- oil : 1 tbsp
- water : 2-3 cups
- Tamarind paste : 1 – 2 tbsp
(Available in most grocery shops in dry as wellas liquid form)
(The traditional way of making this is to soak a lemon sized ball of Tamarind in ½ cup of warm water for a few minutes. Squeeze with clean fingers to form a semi-thick paste. Discard any fiber or seeds if any. You can preserve the paste for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator) - To be fried lightly and ground to a fine paste
- Coconut scraped : ½ cup
- Red chilly powder : 2 tsp
- Corriander powder : 2 tsp
- Asafoetida powder (kaayam) : ½ tsp
- Turmeric powder : ½ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds (uluva) : ¼ tsp
- For tempering (tadka/ thalikkal):
- Mustard seeds (kaduku/rai) : 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds (uluva/methi daana) : ¼ tsp
- Dry red chilly : 1
- Asafoetida powder : a pinch
- For garnish
- Curry leaves : 2 sprigs
- Coriander leaves chopped : 2 tbsp
Methods/steps
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and put ¼ tsp of fenugreek seeds and asafoetida powder. Stir and add the grated coconut and fry for two minutes in high flame, stirring continuously. Add in the red chilly and coriander powder, and further fry for a minute. Remove from fire, cool, and grind to a paste with a cup of water. Keep aside.
- Meanwhile, heat the 1 tbsp oil in a pan and sauté the halved onions till they turn pink and translucent. Mix in 2 cups of water, ¼ tsp turmeric, and salt, and cook till the onions are soft. Add the boiled dhal and chopped tomatoes to this and further cook for 5 minutes till everything is well blended. Add in the ground paste and the turmeric paste. Let it boil. Check for seasonings. If the gravy is too thick, you can add water according to your required consistency.
- Remove from fire, and garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Temper in the remaining oil with mustard, fenugreek and asafoetida.
- Serve hot.
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Additional Tips
You may make it with other vegetables like drumstick, potato, brinjals, etc.
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