Ingredients

• 1 cup - red gram
• 1/4 kg - ash gourd
• 10 - pearl onion
• 1 - onion (small)
• 1 tomato (medium)
• lemon size - tamarind
• 1 - green chilli
• 1 - red chilli
• small quantity - curry leaves
• small quantity - coriander leaves
• 1/2 tbsp - red chilli powder
• 1 tbsp - coriander powder
• 1 tsp - turmeric powder
• a pinch - asafoetida
• 1 tbsp - sambar powder
• 1 - garlic
• 1 tbsp - grated/shredded coconut
• 1 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1 tsp - black gram dal
• salt to taste
• oil for frying

How to Make Ash gourd sambar

• Wash and cook dal in a pressure cooker, adding a little asafoetida, required water, turmeric powder and a drop of oil.
• Wash and boil ash gourd and keep it separately.
• Soak tamarind in hot water and make paste out of it. Remove dust particles.
• Chop onions, tomatoes, green chillies and keep other required ingredients ready.
• Heat oil in a pan or kadai, splutter mustard seeds.
• Add black gram dal, asafoetida, red chillies, green chillies, onions, curry leaves and fry for some time.
• Then add tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, sambar powder, garlic and a little salt and mix well.
• Sprinkle water if necessary.
• Then add tamarind paste followed by vegetables.
• Let it boil for some time.
• Then add cooked dal and mix them well.
• Finally add chopped coriander leaves and grated coconut.
• Coconut can be grinded along with some pearl onions, garlic and curry leaves. It will add to the flavour.
• Recipe courtesy: http://tamilveg.blogspot.com/