Vegetable and Lentil Sambar

A thick and aromatic lentil soup with melt-in-your-mouth vegetables. It has a deep orange hue, and the scent of toasted spices and tangy tamarind hits you as soon as you open the pot.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 357
• Protein: 15 g
• Carbs: 39 g
• Fat: 11 g

Ingredients

• 200 g toor dal ( rinsed )
• 1 L Mineral water
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 piece Yellow onion ( finely chopped )
• 2 piece Carrot ( sliced )
• 1 piece Eggplant (aubergine) ( cubed )
• 2 piece Round tomato ( crushed )
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 10 piece curry leaves
• 1 pinch asafoetida
• 1 tsp Hot pepper en poudre
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 2 tbsp Sambar powder ( ready-to-use spice mix )

Instructions

1. Cooking the lentils

   Rinse the toor dal. Place it in a saucepan with the mineral water and turmeric. Cook until the lentils crush easily under the pressure of a spoon. They should form a coarse puree.

2. Preparing tamarind and vegetables

   Dilute the tamarind paste in a little hot water to obtain a thick juice. In another sauté pan, sauté the onions, carrots, eggplants, and tomatoes in a little ghee until tender.

3. Assembly

   Pour the cooked lentils and tamarind juice over the vegetables. Add the sambar powder, chili powder, and salt. Simmer so that the sauce coats the vegetables well. The consistency should be velvety.

4. Tempering (Tadka)

   In a small skillet, heat the remaining ghee. Toss in the mustard seeds. When they start to pop, add the curry leaves and asafoetida. Immediately pour this hot mixture over the sambar.

Chef's tips

• Only salt the lentils at the end, otherwise they stay firm.
• The secret is in the Tadka: the mustard seeds must really pop to release their oil.

Storage

Keeps for 3 days in the fridge. It thickens as it cools, so feel free to thin the sauce with a little water when reheating.