Sathya's Sambar

This is my dad's rendition of the scrumptious south Indian dish. All the spices can be found at your local Indian grocery - many can even be found at a local health food store as well. Enjoy!

What's in it:

• organic canola oil
• 3 medium organic onions
• 2 large organic eggplants
• 2 big organic green peppers
• 1 cup cooked masur dhal
• 1 pre-cooked potato
• 10-15 washed and dried curry leaves
  
• 1 to 1 1/2 mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp Tamcon
• 1 heaping tsp sambar powder
• 7 - 10 tbsp coriander powder
• 1-2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup water
  
• salt to taste

How it's done:

• Boil 1 cup of masur dhal in 2 cups of water, set aside
• Steam 1 potato, set aside
  
• Chop the onion into big cubes
• Chop the eggplant and green pepper into big pieces
• Put vegetable into a big pot
• Mix the tamcon with approximately 1/2 cup of warm water and mix until dissolved
• Add dissolved tamcon to veggies
• Add sambar powder
• Put the pot of veggies on the stove on high until boiling then turn down to med-low
• Add the potato, cut into chunks
• While the veggies cook down
• roast the coriander and cinnamon in a small cast iron pan (if you have it, if not any pan will work) on a low heat
• Make sure to keep the heat low, so you don't burn the spices
  
• add the roasted coriander and cinnamon to the veggie
• Add the cup of pre-cooked dhal.
  
• Let mixture simmer
• Clean your pan and heat 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp canola oil
• Add mustard seeds and let heat until they pop
• Add curry leaves
• Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves to the pot.
• Add salt to taste.
• Let simmer until all the veggies are soft.
  
• You can use a masher to mash the veggies to your desired consistency.

Pour this tasty south India soup over hot, fresh idlies (see Idlies)