This tasty sambar made using sorakkai (Bottle Gourd) is the perfect pair to steamed white rice.
Cook toor dhal 
Saute onions 
Add tomatoes and sorakkai 
Add sambar powder 
Add cooked dhal and water 
Add curry leaves and boil 
Prepare tempering 
Pour tempering over sambar 
Sorakkai (Bottle Gourd) Sambar
This tasty sambar made using sorakkai is the perfect pair to steamed white rice.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 3 cups sorakkai (bottle gourd) (cubed)
- 6 pearl onions (cut into quarters)
- 1 tomato (chopped)
- 1 garlic clove (crushed)
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 tbsp sambar powder
- ½ cup toor dhal
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp oil (for cooking dhal)
- 1 marble sized tamarind (soaked in ½ cup water)
- 4 cups water
- salt to taste
For tempering:
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp urad dhal
- ¼ tsp cumin seeds
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida (also known as hing or perungayam)
- 2 dry red chilies
- 1 tbsp oil
Instructions
- Wash toor dhal and add to a pressure cooker with 1½ cups water, turmeric powder and 1 tsp oil.
- Cook for 4-5 whistles and let the pressure release naturally. Mash the dhal and set aside.
- Add 1 tbsp oil to a heavy bottom pan. Once hot, add onions and saute for 1 minute.
- Then, add tomatoes and sorakkai. Saute for 1 minute.
- Mix in the sambar powder.
- Next, add 2 cups water and salt to the pan. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes.
- Add the cooked dhal and tamarind extract. Mix well and boil for 5 minutes.
- Add the crushed garlic and curry leaves. Boil for 3-4 minutes.
- Prepare the tempering with the ingredients under "For tempering" except the curry leaves.
- Once mustard seeds start to crackle, add curry leaves and remove from heat.
- Pour tempering over the sambar. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
- This sambar can be made with other vegetables such as: white pumpkin, radish, brinjal, drumsticks, carrots, chayote (chow chow), broad beans, flat beans and/or french beans.
