Besan Sambar – Kadalai Maavu Sambar – Tiffin Sambar Recipe

• Besan – 1/4 cup
• Tamarind – Small gooseberry size or ripe tomato – 2 nos
• Green chilly – 4-5 nos ( slit ) or sambar powder – 1.5 tsp
• Big onion – 2 nos(finely chopped)

To temper

• Cooking Oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 tsp
• Urad dal – 1 tsp
• Asafetida/Hing – 1/4 tsp ( 1/8 + 1/8 tsp)
• Curry leaves –1 sprig
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Coriander leaves /Cilantro– 1/4 cup (finely chopped)

• Soak tamarind in water and extract pulp from it.Dilute the besan without lumps adding required water.Set aside.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds.Once it starts spluttering add urad dal, a pinch of hing and curry leaves.Add finely chopped onions, slit green chillies ( Or add sambar powder along with tamarind extract) and saute till onions become transparent. Add some water and cover the kadai with a lid. Onions will get cooked nicely.
• Now add the besan water, tamarind extract, ( Sambar powder if using) with salt and 1/2 cup of water. Add 1/4 tsp of hing and turmeric powder.
• Bring it to boil.Gravy may become thick. So add some water in between. It should boil till the raw smell of besan leaves off completely. Check for taste and add more salt if needed. Finally, add the coriander leaves and serve hot!!
  

   

If you use sambar powder instead of green chillies, color and flavor of this sambar will vary.

Note: For chapathi, we follow the same procedure but instead of tamarind extract ,we use lemon juice or tomato pieces.Gravy should be thicker than this.We add lemon juice at the end i.e. after removing from the flame.