Chinna Vengaya [Shallots] Sambar Recipe

This Chinna Vengaya [Shallots] Sambar Recipe was a part of the simple weekday lunch menu that I posted earlier today.

Normally, the sambar that we make is with some vegetable or in the absence of vegetables in the fridge we make this Ogarnay Huli or seasoned dal type sambar.

We generally don’t add onion to the regular sambar. We just prepare it with one or more types of vegetables.That is how my grandma and mom have been making it. So this Chinna Vengaya [Shallots] Sambar Recipe or sambar made using pearl onion / shallots has a special place in out taste buds.

This sambar goes well with steamed rice as well as with piping hot soft idlis. Sambar idli tastes out of teh world when served dunked in this chinna vengaya sambar,drizzled with a little ghee!

So, this sambar was prepared one day to please our taste buds as it had been a while since we made this at home.

I made a huge batch and used some with idli for breakfast and the rest of it went with the lunch menu.

Let’s go to the recipe part for preparing Chinna Vengaya [Shallots] Sambar Recipe

I used:

• Toor Dal- 1 cup
• Tomato -2
• Oil- 2 teaspoons
• Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
• Fenugreek seeds- 1/2 teaspoon
• Channa Dal- 1 teaspoon
• Curry leaves- a few
• Chinna Vengayam / Pearl onion – 2 cup,peeled
• Tamarind extract – 1/4 cup
• Sambar powder- 3 teaspoons
• Salt to taste

Take the toor dal in a vessel and add 2 cups of water,turmeric powder. Put in 2 chopped tomatoes and pressure cook it till the dal is mushy. Remove from pressure cooker and whisk week. Remove the peel of the tomato if it floats on top.

Heat a pan with oil and add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, channa dal, curry leaves.Saute for till the mustard pops. Add the onion and saute till the color changes and the onions soften.Add the tamarind extract and bring to boil. Once the raw flavor of tamarind extract disappears, add the sambar powder, salt and mix.

Add the cooked dal and simmer for 5 minutes / till it comes to a boil.Remove from heat.

Serve Chinna Vengaya [Shallots] Sambar with steamed rice / Idli / Dosa

Note:

• This sambar thickens on standing.Add water and reheat.Add sambar powder / salt to adjust the taste.
• I use home made sambar powder.
• Adjust the sambar powder quantity to suit your taste. The sambar must be slightly spicy.