Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Arachivitta Kuzhambu / Potato Sambar

Arachivitta Kuzhambu/Sambar is a hot favorite in my home. It is also prepared with many other vegetables and tastes the best with Idlis, Dosas and with plain White Rice. It involves grinding of a simple masala for the Sambar which gives the Sambar a fresh taste and a nice rich flavor.




Ingredients:

Potatoes - 2 Medium Sized
Tamarind paste - 1 Tsp
Toor Dal - 1/2 Cup
Turmeric powder - A Pinch
Asafoetida - A Pinch
Salt - To taste


For the Masala:

Cumin Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Dry Red Chillies - 3-4
Urad Dal - 1 Tsp
Chana Dal - 1 Tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 1/2 Tbsp
Freshly Grated Coconut - 1 Cup


For the Seasoning:

Ghee/Clarified Butter - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Curry Leaves - A Few
Cilantro - A Few to garnish

Method:
  • Peel and cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces.

  • In a pan add 1/2 cup of Toor Dal, a pinch of turmeric and a pinch of salt and add water .



  • Add the cubed potatoes to the dal and pressure cook the dal for upto 3 whistles.

  • In another pan, add a few drops of oil. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, Urad Dal, Chana Dal, Dry Red Chillies and Coriander seeds.

  • Dry roast this spice mixture until aroma from the spices start to get released.

  • Now add freshly grated coconut to this spice mixture.

  • Dry roast the coconut with the spice mixture for about 3-5 minutes until the coconut gets roasted.


  • Grind the mixture into a paste by adding a little water. Let the paste be a little coarse.


  • Take 1 tsp of tamarind paste and dissolve it in 1 cup of warm water.

  • Take a pan and add tamarind water. Add asafoetida and salt to the tamarind water.Be careful with the salt as we have already added some salt while boiling the dal.


  • Let the tamarind water come to a boil. Then add the ground paste to this water and mix it well.

  • Allow this mixture to come to a boil. Then add the boiled Dal and potatoes to this and mix it well. Allow this Sambar to boil well for about 10 minutes.

For the seasoning:
  • Take 1 tbsp of ghee and add 1 tsp of mustard seeds to it.Once the mustard seeds pop up add curry leaves. Mix the seasoning well and turn off from heat.

  • Add this mixture to the Sambar.

  • Garnish the Sambar with finely chopped cilantro.

  • Serve hot with Idlis, Dosas or with White Rice.


Notes:

  • You can also use vegetables like shallots, drumsticks, chayote, green beans or white pumpkin to prepare this dish.
  • If you are using tamarind instead of tamarind paste, then you can take tamarind about the size of a lime.
  • You can use Oil also to do the seasoning. Ghee gives it a much richer taste.
  • Adding salt while boiling the dal is optional. You may choose to skip the addition as per your preference.

13 comments:

Priya Suresh said...

Slurp, thats a mouthwatering sambar..

Kurinji said...

mouthwatering sambar...

Unknown said...

Wow nice stepwise....my fav sambar very aromatic one

Pushpa said...

I make this often too,very flavourful and yummy sambar.

R said...

so yummy, luv the way u have patiently uploaded the step-by-step presentation!

aipi said...

hubby loves potato n he loves sambhar so its a no-brainer he will love this one:)
Thanks for sharing dear!


US Masala

Satya said...

delicious sambar ...beautifully explained
Satya
http://www.superyummyrecipes.com

Raks said...

This is one of my best lovable dish with perfect combo,I always feel that the arachuvitta sambhar comes out more nice if we make with potato,wat say?? :)

Gayu said...

Definitely Raji...Best combo is POTATO!!Love it!!

Shivani said...

Something new sambar to know

Chanchal said...

Something new..thanks for sharing step by step process..

Chanchal
RecipeRaaga.com

Nithu Bala said...

Gayu, you have been tagged..plz. check the link
http://www.nithubala.com/2010/12/im-tagged.html

Gayu said...

Thanks Nithu...Will post it back soon!!