Tamarind Vegetable Sambar with Fresh Coconut Masala

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A soupy, sour-sweet lentil and vegetable stew from South India, built on toor dal simmered until it collapses, a freshly toasted coconut-chili masala ground at home, and a bright hit of tamarind. A sputtering coconut-oil tadka of mustard seeds and curry leaves goes on at the very end. Ladle it over rice, or scoop it up with dosa or idli.

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), rinsed
• 4 1/2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 10 small shallots or pearl onions, peeled and left whole
• 1 medium carrot, cut into 1/2-inch coins
• 1 small Italian eggplant, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 4 oz green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2-inch lengths
• 1 large tomato, cut into 8 wedges
• 1 3/4 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 tsp coconut oil
• 2 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp chana dal (split chickpeas)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 5 dried red chiles (such as Kashmiri or árbol), stems removed
• 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (frozen grated or dried)
• 1/2 cup warm water, for grinding

• 1 1/2 tbsp seedless tamarind pulp (or 2 tsp tamarind concentrate)
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 1/2 tsp jaggery or light brown sugar
• 2 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tsp black mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chiles, broken in half
• 18 fresh curry leaves
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. Combine the rinsed toor dal, 4 1/2 cups water, turmeric, and 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a large heavy pot. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off the foam that rises in the first 3 minutes. Reduce to a low simmer, cover partially, and cook 40 to 45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the dal is completely soft and breaks apart when pressed against the side of the pot. (In a pressure cooker or Instant Pot: 3 cups water, 12 minutes at high pressure, natural release.)
2. While the dal simmers, make the masala. Heat 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the coriander seeds, chana dal, cumin, fenugreek, and 5 dried chiles. Toast 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the chana dal is golden and the spices smell nutty. Add the shredded coconut and toast 2 minutes more, stirring, until the coconut turns light tan. Slide everything onto a plate to stop the cooking and cool 5 minutes.
3. Grind the toasted mixture in a blender or spice grinder with 1/2 cup warm water until you have a thick, fairly smooth paste, about 90 seconds, scraping down the sides once. Set aside.
4. Soak the tamarind pulp in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 minutes, then mash it with your fingers and strain, pressing hard on the solids; discard the fibers. (If using concentrate, just stir it into 1/2 cup hot water.)
5. When the dal is soft, whisk it smooth with a wire whisk or mash with a spoon. Add 1 1/2 cups water, the shallots, carrot, and 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Simmer uncovered over medium heat for 8 minutes.
6. Add the eggplant and green beans and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, until the eggplant is tender but still holding its shape. Add the tomato wedges and cook 3 minutes more.
7. Stir in the ground coconut masala, the strained tamarind liquid, and the jaggery. Add up to 1 cup more water — sambar should be pourable, like a loose soup, not a thick dal. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook 10 minutes over low heat so the raw edge of the masala cooks out. Taste and adjust salt; it should read sour first, then sweet, then hot.
8. Make the tempering: heat 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a small skillet over medium-high until it shimmers, about 1 minute. Add the mustard seeds and cover partially — when they pop hard, about 20 seconds, add the broken chiles and curry leaves (they will spit). Fry 15 seconds until the leaves are crisp, then kill the heat and stir in the asafoetida.
9. Pour the entire tempering, oil and all, into the sambar and stir once. Cover and let sit off the heat for 5 minutes, then stir in the cilantro and serve hot over steamed rice.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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