Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Spinach sambar

A simple sambar recipe that helps me to include greens in one form or other:)

Amaranth (thandu keerai - Tamil) or any kind of spinach can be used to make this healthy sambar. Taking greens is a must for all, that too more important for those with non-veg diet. Greens have the capacity to keep our intestines healthy and clean apart from their vitamin benefits. So a non veg day should be followed by a day full of fibrous diet and keerai is a must then. We can see the fish meals accompanied with spinach in many Indian houses, but not with chicken or lamb. So the next day would be a keerai day:) This is a common dish in some parts of Tamilnadu, India.


Ingredients:
Amaranth (or) spinach leaves- 2 handful
tamarind - small gooseberry size
tomato - 1
sambar powder - 2 tsp
oil - 1 tsp
curry leaf - 1 sprig
cilantro - few
mustard - 1/2 tsp
fenugreek - 1/2 tsp
cumin - 1/2 tsp

To pressure cook:
thuvaram paruppu (thoor dhal/red gram)- 1/2 cup

water - 2 cup
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
asafoetida (hing) - a pinch
onion - 1/2
garlic - 4 cloves

Method:
Pressure cook the dhal with 2 cups of water, hing, turmeric powder, garlic, onion.
Soak the tamarind in 1/2 cup water and extract juice (thrice).
Finely chop the spinach and keep aside.
Heat a tsp oil in a wok and slide in mustard, fenugreek. After the mustard crackles, add the finely chopped tomato and cook till it gets mushy.
Then add the chopped spinach and stir for less than a minute.
Add the tamarind extract and let it come to a boil. Heat till the raw smell vanishes (5 minutes). Mash the cooked dhal with a tsp of cumin and add it to boiling tamarind. Put the sambar powder and bring it to a boil.
Add required salt, finely chopped cilantro and switch off.
Spinach sambar is ready!

Serving suggestion:
Makes 4 generous servings.
Serve over hot rice or as side dish with idly, dosa, venn pongal etc.


14 comments:

aipi said...

what a healthy and comforting sambar..loved the idea of using spinach :)



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divya said...

Delicious and healthy looking sambar... .Good with rice.

Shama Nagarajan said...

truly delicious sambar...yummy

Priya Suresh said...

Give me some rice and papads, i'll definitely finish that whole bowl of healthy sambar,love it much..

Suman Singh said...

same pinch..even I had prepared vegetable samhar y'day night for dinner..its such a comfort food to me..looks yummy!

Ila said...

Yummy Sambar Viki....Feel like to eat :)

Chitra said...

Looks yummy. My MIL makes this way. but i follow my mom's method ;) i shud try this way once ..Nice post viki..

Tina said...

healthy sambar...

MAGESH said...

Healthy and delicious sambar...

Panchpakwan said...

Healhty and delicious dal..Perfect with rice.

Swathi said...

This my hubby's favorite sambar. He makes more often before our marriage. looks delicious.

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

looks yum! love it...

Suja Manoj said...

Healthy and delicious sambar,great idea dear,love to try this out.

Sushma Mallya said...

Heathy and yummy sambar:)

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