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.