Ingredients*

1. Lentil (Toor Dal)--- ½ cup
2. Tamarind --- 1 Tsb (small ball)
3. Onion --- ½ piece
4. Potatoes --- 1 Big or 2 smalls
5. Tomato --- 1 large chopped
6. Carrot --- 1 small piece)
7. Lady finger ---5-6 1" pieces
8. Drumsticks --- 6-8 3" pieces
9. Green Chillies --- 3 to 4 slit lengthwise
10. Cilantro(Chopped) ---2½ stems
11. Yellow cucumber---2-3 pieces
12. Turmeric powder --- ¼ tsp;"
13. Chilli powder --- 1 tsp
14. Coriander powder 2½ tsp
15. Asafoetida powder (Kayam)--- ¼ tsp
16. Salt --- to taste

Method

1. Cook lentil in a pressure cooker for 8 minutes in a low flame **. (use water to be just above the lentil).
2. Soak a small ball of Tamarind in half a cup of water.
3. Cook Potato and Onion in level water in another vessel on a low flame for 5 minutes
4. Add 1/2 tsp salt
5. Add all the remaining vegetables one by one. (The harder ones first)
6. Boil till the potatoes become soft.
7. Add all the powders alongwith 1 tsp salt,
8. Smash up the already cooked lentil a little bit, and add to the vegetables
9. Add all the 4 powders and a little more salt
10. Squeeze the soaked puli and pour the juice little by little to the desired sourness***..
11. Chop a small bunch of Coriander laeves and dump.
12. Garnish with 1/2 spoon spluttered mustard and a dry red chilly.(Optional)

Notes

1. *Don't panic with the long list of vegetables. You can make Sambar with just one or two as well. Include drumsticks whenever available.
2. ** lentil produces a lot of froth while cooking. Use very low flame. Adding 1 tsp of oil can control it to a great extent.
3. *** You can create a perfect taste by balancing the tamarind juice and salt. Use judiciously.