This is Recipe for Small Onion Sambar, a South Indian specialty dish; the Sambar makes the use of the smaller variety of Sambar Onions.
Ingredients
250 Gram Small Sambar Onion
½ Cup Red Gram Dal
½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
Lemon sized Tamarind
A Bunch of Coriander leaves (chopped fine for garnishing)
Salt as per taste
Paste
2 Teaspoon Oil
3-4 Tablespoon grated Coconut
½ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
6 Red Chilies
½ Teaspoon Asafoetida Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
3 Tablespoon Coriander Seeds
1 ½ Table spoon Bengal Gram Dal
2 Teaspoon Poppy Seeds
For the Tempering
2 Tablespoon Oil
1 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
1 Red Chili (halved)
A few Curry Leaves
Preparation
Skin the Onions and set aside. Soak the Tamarind in 1 ½ Cups of Water and extract the Juice and set aside.
Pressure cook the Dal and set aside.
To make the Paste : Fry in 2 Tea spoons Oil the Fenugreek Seeds, Red Chilies, Asafoetida, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Bengal Gram Dal, and Poppy Seeds. Grind to a fine Paste, adding the Coconut and 4-5 of the small Sambar Onions. Use very little Water.
Heat the 2-table spoon Oil and add all the Ingredients for tempering. When the Mustard Seeds, Splutter, add the Sambar Onions and fry on a slow flame for five minutes.
Add the Tamarind Juice, Turmeric Powder and Salt. Cover and simmer for five to seven minutes until the raw small of the Tamarind disappears.
Add the cooked Dal and the ground Masala Paste and cook for another five minutes until everything blends well. If the sambar is too thick, add ¼ Cup Water and boil for two minutes.
Garnish with the chopped Coriander leaves.
Serve hot with Rice.
