Bhendi sambhar
Okra or bhindi as known in India is one of the most widely used vegetable. It's also called as lady's fingers, in reference to it’s long, elegantly tapering shape. Okra has a very subtle taste and releases a very sticky liquid when chopped and cooked. So it’s advisable to first clean the okra under running water, pat dry to remove any moisture and then start with the chopping.
Sambhar has an interesting story of how it got it’s name. One of the stories goes that it originated in the kitchen of Thanjavur Marathas ruler Shahuji during the 17th century from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Shahuji, trying to make a dish called amti, experimented with pigeon peas instead of mung beans and tamarind pulp for kokum. The court named it sambhar after the guest of the day, Sambhaji, second emperor of the Maratha Empire.
The sambhar that I have cooked here is a very basic recipe using ready-made sambhar powder. The basic ingredients in a sambhar are yellow lentils (tur dal), tamarind broth and vegetables. I usually use the readymade sambhar powder when in hurry, but making it from scratch isn’t difficult. Roast fresh coconut, coriander seeds, red chillies, a tbsp of udad dal, a spoonful of soaked rice, dried turmeric and asafoetida with 10-15 drops of coconut oil and ground to a smooth paste.
Sambhar has always been an integral part of south Indian cuisine. It is served with steamed rice as a main course during lunch and dinners and not to forget the indispensable idli sambhar, vada sambhar and masala dosa sambhar that every Indian loves for breakfast. This sambhar has only okra but pretty much any vegetables (carrots, beans, brinjal, pumpkin, drumsticks, potatoes) can be added. This bhendekayi sambhar (as we call it in kannada) is one of the versions of sambhar cooked in Karnataka especially in Udupi & Mangalore.
What you’ll need
Yellow lentils (tur dal) - 3/4 cup
Water - 3 cups
Jaggery - finely shredded 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp - 2 tsp
Okra medium sized - 15 (cut into rounds of about 1 inch)
Medium sized tomato - 1
Sambhar powder - 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste.
For tempering
Cooking oil (especially coconut oil ) - 1 tbsp
10-12 curry leaves
mustard seeds - 1 tsp
asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
methi seeds - 5 seeds (or 1 tsp methi seed powder)
Dried red chilly - 2-3
How to
Wash tur dal and pressure cook with 2 cups of water upto 2 whistles or until the dal is mushy and cooked well. Whisk the dal until it’s completely combined. Add a cup of water, salt, finely diced tomatoes, tamarind pulp, jaggery, sambhar powder and okras and allow to cook on medium heat for 10 minutes. You will see that the entire sambhar becomes slimy. Let the sambhar cook now for another 15 minutes on low heat. Adjust the salt if needed. By now, all the slimy texture goes away and the okras are completely cooked. If not, cook for some more time. Turn off the heat and keep aside.
In a pan, heat 1 tbsp oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start crackling add curry leaves, methi seeds, . split red chillies and fry for 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and add asafoetida. Add this flavoured oil to the sambhar. Let the sambhar sit for atleast 2-3 hours before serving. To get the best taste out of sambhar, cook it the previous night and have it the next day.
