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.