Pearl Onion Sambar

Kutti vengaya Sambar - most of us like this sambar. The main ingredients are as follows..

Ingredients:-

1. Pear Onions (kutti vengayam) - a small cup
   
2. Toor dhall - 1 cup
3. Tamarind - 1 1/2 tbsp
4. Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
5. Channa dhall - 1 tsp
6. Fresh coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp
7. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
8. Red chillies - 2
9. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
10. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
12. Salt to taste

For seasoning:-

1. Oil - 2 tsp
   
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
4. Curry leaves - few
5. Asafoetida powder - a pinch
6. Red chillies - 1

First pressure cook the toor dhal with a pinch of turmeric powder and keep it aside. Take out the skin from pearl onions and keep it aside. Take a small pan, pre heat a pinch of oil, add coriander seeds, channa dhal, fenugreek, red chillies, coconut and asafoetida powder and fry it till golden brown. Also take 4 pearl onions and fry it along with the above said ingredients to golden brown. This will increase the taste of sambar. Let it cool and grind it into a fine paste.

Now take a pan, put the remaining pearl onions, add tamarind paste, a cup of water, turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt and let it boil for 7 to 10 mts till the onion become tender. Now add the coconut paste with it and again let it cook for another 2 mts. Add the cooked toor dhal to it and let it boil for another 5 mts. Now sambar is ready. For seasoning, take a small pan, preheat the oil, add mustard seeds when it splutters add fenugreek seeds, red chillies, asafoetida powder and curry leaves to it and fry it till golden brown. Pour it on top of the sambar. Serve hot with rice.