SAMBHAR

Ingredients

For Sambhar:

1 cup toovar (arhar) dal
2 tomatoes , chopped
1 onion , chopped
1/2 cup brinjal (baingan / eggplant) cubed

1/2 cup bottle gourd (ghiya or lauki) 
1 drumsticks (saijan ki phalli / saragavo) , cut into 4 pieces
1 potato cubed

1 small carrot cubed

8 french beans

1 small capsicum cubed

1/4 cup cauliflower 

1 tbsp tamarind (imli) pulp

2 dry red chilies

1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
6 curry leaves (kadi patta)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
2 tbsp oil

1 tsp moong dal 
1 tsp urad dal (split black lentils)

2 tsp sugar or a small piece of gur

salt to taste

For The Sambhar Masala:

 4 to 6 whole dry kashmiri red chillies
1 tbsp coriander (dhania) seeds
1 tsp toovar (arhar) dal
1 tbsp chana dal (split bengal gram)
1 tbsp urad dal (split black lentils)
1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
1 tsp oil

Method:

For the sambhar masala

1. Heat the oil and roast all the ingredients for the sambhar masala in it. 
2. Grind to a fine paste. Keep aside.

For Sambhar:

1. Wash and pressure cook the dal, onion, brinjals, bottle gourd,drumstick, and potato with 2 cups of water. Mash the vegetables in the boiled dal.
2. Then add the tamarind pulp, salt ,sugar and 4 cups of water and bring to a boil.
3. Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and frying the mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida,1tsp urad dal,1 tsp moong dal and dry red chilies until the mustard seeds crackle.
4. Now add chopped tomatoes and cook till the tomatoes become compeletely soft.
5. Now add rest of the vegetables in the tempering pan along with 1/2 tsp salt and 2 tbsp of water and cook till the vegetables are crunchy.
6. Now add  sambhar masala and 1/2 cup of water and cook for 2 minutes.
7. Add this to the sambhar and simmer for 15 minutes.
8. Serve hot with upma,idli ,lemon rice,steamed rice,uttapam,vada or dosa. 

Note:

1. You can use more or less of vegetables as per availability of vegetables.
2. You can use 3-4 tsp ready made sambar masala or sambar mix available in market.