Ground spices Sambar

This is my mother’s recipe that I absolutely love but made without coconut or oil

1/2 sliced onion

1/4 c Tamarind (imli) paste

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp black mustard seeds

Bunch of curry leaves

1/2 cup Toor dal

Salt to taste

For the ground spices:

4 tbsp coriander seeds

1/2 tsp fenugreek(methi) seeds

3-4 red chilies (we like everything hot!)

Pinch of asofetida

1 tbsp Chana dal

1/4 cup Cauliflower rice

1 tbsp chia seeds

1. Roast the spices in a pan. When they start browning, add the cauliflower rice and roast some more. Cool and then blend and set aside.

2. Cook toor dal in a microwave bowl with 2-3 cups of water for 15 minutes till it turns soft. Then blend it for a second (this is my easy fix to avoid pressure cooking with yet another contraption and further cleaning of more vessels)

3. Sauté vegetables for 3-4 minutes till a bit brown (add broth if needed). Add 2 cups of water, turmeric powder, chia seeds, salt and tamarind paste. Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes. You might need to adjust the tamarind to taste at this point (some brands of tamarind paste are too tame so may need to add a bit more here).

4. Add the ground spices to it and cover and cook for 5 more minutes.

5. Add the blended dal and cook 5 more minutes. Add water if it gets too thick.

6. Roast black mustard seeds separately, add curry leaves at the end and pour this into the Sambar when it is done

7. Didn’t taste one bit different from before with oil