Ingredients

• For the sambar:
• 1 cup - tur dal, washed and soaked
• 3 cups - mixed vegetables of 1-inch size each (carrots, French beans, drumsticks, potatoes)
• salt to taste
• 1-1.5 inch - ball of black tamarind, seedless, soaked in 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 tsp - haldi/turmeric powder
• 1 tsp - red chilli powder
• 4 tbsp - `sambar` masala
• 1/2 tsp - hing/asafoetida
• 1 - chopped ripe tomato
• 1/2 tsp - mustard seeds
• 1 sprig - curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp - jeera/cumin seeds
• 2-3 - dry red chillies
• 1 tsp - coriander/dhaniya powder
• salt to taste
• 2-3 tbsp - ghee/oil
• For the peanut chutney:
• 1/2 cup - roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup - desiccated coconut
• 1 - small onion
• 1/4 tsp - peppercorns
• 1/4 tsp - jeera/cumin
• 1 small - red chilli
• 1/2 tsp - mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs - curry leaves
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp - cooking oil

How to Make Idli Sambar

• For the sambar: Boil the dal, mixed vegetables, and tomatoes after adding salt in a pressure cooker with just enough water to cover them.
• Cook up to 1 whistle on high flame.
• Open the cooker and reduce the flame to simmer.
• Add half (each) of the turmeric, red-chilli powder, asafoetida, and sambar powder.
• Strain the tamarind pulp into this mixture. Allow to simmer.
• In a pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds.
• When they splutter, reduce the flame and add the curry leaves, cumin, and red chillies.
• Then add the remaining half of all the powders and the coriander powder.
• Keep stirring, and add a little water to prevent burning at the base. Fry for 15 seconds.
• Add this to the simmering curry and let it cook for 5 minutes.
• For the peanut chutney:
• Grind the nuts, onions, coconut, cumin, and pepper to a paste with some water.
• In a pan, heat oil and add the rest of the chutney ingredients; fry well for a minute on medium heat.
• Add the ground paste, 2 tablespoons at a time, and fry well.
• Add salt to taste (even a pinch of sugar).