Murungakkai Sambar
Drumstick sambar — the quintessential Tamil curry with toor dal, tamarind, and sambar powder. Daily staple.
Ingredients
Garnish
- Coriander Leaves (optional) (garnish) — 2 tbsp (chopped)
Main
- Toor Dal — 100 g (whole)
- Tomato — 2 piece (chopped)
- Drumstick — 100 g (chopped)
- Tamarind — 100 g (whole)
- Red Chilli Powder (Lal Mirch) — 1 tsp (ground)
- salt (optional) (whole)
- onion — 2 piece (chopped)
- Turmeric Powder — 0.5 tsp (ground)
- Ginger — 1 tsp (ground)
- coriander powder — 1 tsp (ground)
- Garlic — 1 tsp (ground)
Tempering
- Coconut Oil — 2 tbsp (whole)
- Urad Dal — 1 tsp (whole)
- Mustard Seeds (Black) — 1 tsp (whole)
- Curry Leaves — 8 piece (ground)
Method
- Soak the tamarind in warm water for 15 minutes, then squeeze out the pulp and discard the fibre.
- Wash the toor dal and pressure cook it with turmeric powder and enough water for 3 to 4 whistles till soft, then mash lightly.
- Cut the drumstick into finger-length pieces and chop the onion and tomato.
- Heat the coconut oil in a pan, add the mustard seeds and urad dal, and let them splutter and turn golden, then add the curry leaves.
- Add the chopped onion, ginger and garlic, and saute till the onion turns soft and translucent.
- Add the chopped tomato, drumstick pieces, coriander powder, red chilli powder and the tamarind pulp, and cook for 5 minutes till the drumstick softens slightly.
- Add the mashed toor dal, salt and enough water to get a thin sambar consistency, and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes till the drumstick is fully cooked and the flavours come together.
- Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or idli.
Common questions
- How many calories in one plate of Murungakkai Sambar?
- 109 kcal per plate.
- How much cooking time?
- 40 min — 15 min prep, 25 min cooking.