Nita Mehta is a household name, thanks to her expertise with food and flavours. A Gold Medalist in M.Sc. (Food & Nutrition), she has written more than 400 books on various topics including more than 350 best selling cookery books. Her book "Flavours of Indian Cooking" won the Best Asian Cookbook Award at the Versailles (Paris) World Cookbook Fair.
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Sambar
 
 
Prepration: 15 mins.
Cooking: 32 mins.
Serves 4 Cal/Ser 65
 
Ingredients
½ cup red lentil (arhar dal) soak for 1 hr
100 gm pumpkin or 2 small brinjals or any other vegetable of your choice - chopped (1 cup)
lemon sized ball of tamarind (imli) - soaked in ¼
cup hot water
1 tsp salt or to taste, ¼ tsp asafoetida (hing powder)
2 tbsp sambar powder, 1 tbsp oil
1 onion - sliced
½ tsp mustard seeds (sarson)
a few curry leaves
tiny piece of jaggery (gur) - optional
 
Method
1. Put dal with 2 cups water in a deep bowl. Cover with cling film. Prick the film. Microwave for 15 minutes or till dal turns soft. Mash well.
2. Extract tamarind pulp. Keep aside.
3. Mix oil, curry leaves, sarson, sambhar powder and onions in a deep micro proof bowl. Microwave for 5 minutes.
4. Add chopped vegetables, salt, pureed dal and gur. Cover and microwave for 6 minutes.
5. Add 1½ cups water and tamarind pulp. Microwave covered for 4 minutes or till it boils. Uncover and microwave for 2 minutes. Serve.