Sorakai sambar ( Dudhi, bottlegourd )

I have been going through the recipes posted in my blog and realized that I had not posted a sambar dish. The trademark of being a Tamil is sambar dish yet I did not have any. Whenever we Tamils see a veggie we make a sambar out of it. Telugus will make a pappu and keralites a thoran I would guess. I am not familiar with other cuisines :)

Sorakai and pumpkin are two classy watery veggies that soaks up all the flavour of sambar. These veggies literally burst into bundles of flavour when bitten - the taste is completely acquired.


Sorakai sambar, brinjal curry & mango pickle

Here goes my recipe for sambar

- cup of toor dal boiled and mashed
- 10 one inch pieces of sorakai peeled
- half an onion chopped
- 1 juicy vine riped tomato
- 1 lemon size tamarind pulp
- 1 teaspoon good sambar powder - I use the one sent by amma from home
- a fistful of coriander leaves
- 1/4th tsp turmeric
- salt to taste
- for tempering - one tsp each of oil, mustard, fenugreek, cumin, 4 to 5 curry leaves

Sorakai ( Sorakaya, Dudhi )- Right pressure-cooked dal

First
- Pressure cook the toor dal with twice the amount of water for 2 to 3 whistles.
- soak the tamarind

Next
- Heat the oil for tempering
- Meanwhile chop the onions, tomato
- Temper the oil with the ingredients for tempering. Add onion and saute for two minutes. Add the tomato and saute for another 2 minutes
- Meanwhile peel and chop the sorakai - Remove the middle spongy part of the sorakai while chopping. Add to the mixture above.
- Add a cup and half of water, sambar powder, turmeric, salt and allow to boil for 10 minutes

Then
- Add the mashed dal to the mixture and continue to boil for another 5 minutes
- Add the tamarind pulp and when it foams on the top add coriander leaves and switch off.
- Enjoy with rice.

Needless to say this sambar tastes extremely well when allowed to sit for a couple of hours.