SMALL ONION SAMBHAR WITH METHI SEEDS ( VENDHAYA VENGAYA SAMBHAR)

This is my mom's recipe we love to have it in our house. Having sambhar in south india, especially in tamilnadu will be 7 days a week.  So there are many versions, variations of sambhar recipes are available to have different tastes. The recipe here below have a very minor alterations from the regular sambhar, but do have the authentic taste. You should try this for enjoying the flavour. Small onions/ shallots are generally suitable for this sambhar. We call this recipe as vendhaya sambhar, its vary from vendhaya kuzhambu. Whenever the shortage of vegetables in your house to make sambhar, you can try this out.

Ingredients:

1. Toor dhal - 1/4 cup
2. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
3. Methi / vendhayam seeds - 2 tsp
4. Tamarind extract - 2 tbs or as required
5. Shallots / small onions - 1 cup
6. Salt - as required
7. Red chillies - 4-5
8. Sambhar powder - 1 tbs(less or more as required)

Seasoning :

1. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
2. Jeera - 1 tsp
3. Curry leaves - 1 twig
4. Asfotedia powder - 1 tsp

Method:

1. Clean and wash the toor dhal, fill the dhal with 1/2 cup of water in a small vessel. Add methi seeds to the vessel with the dhal.

2. Peel the skin from the onions and keep it as whole without chopping it.  Close the cooker and keep it in the stove. Wait for the pressure to come, open the lid and add the peeled onions to the dhal vessel and close the lid of the cooker and put weight. Give 3 whistles or normally you use to cook for dhal.

3. Once the pressure is completely gone, remove the onions carefully from the vessel and keep it seperately, otherwise it will be difficult to smash the dhal.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves and red chillies. Once they got popped add the dhal mixture to the pan.

5. Mix  tamarind extract, salt, turmeric powder, sambhar powder in a seperate bowl and add it to the dhal mixture. Add required amount of water to get the desired consistency. Add cooked onions and allow to cook for 5 more minutes. Add asfotedia powder finally.

6. Transfer to a serving bowl and have it with white rice and have appalam, pappad or vadagam for the side dish.