Indian Sambar

Sambar is a thin stew flavoured with tamarind and thickened with toor (tuvar) dal and is a plateful of loveliness! So, this was another recipe I just had to make from watching Gordon Ramsay's 'Great Escape' television programme.

I have to say this was the nicest Indian dish I have ever had. So many different flavours and very spicy but in the nicest possible way. The Jeera (cumin) rice was also delicious. I will be making both again. Don't be put off by the never-ending list of ingredients - this recipe is well worth the effort.

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I must point out that Gordon's recipe doesn't mention adding water after adding the tamarind liquid. I had to add at least a cup if not a cup and a half.

The carrots and butternut cannot possibly cook just the tiny amount of thickish tamarinde water, and most certainly not in only 8-10 minutes as his book says they will.

When I make this again I will part boil the carrots and butternut before adding to the recipe.

I also used frozen okra from Tesco's as I couldn't get fresh on the day I wanted it. I also go the tamarind (wet block) from Tesco in their world food bit and the toor dal from Asian grocers.

Toast the spices in a dry frying pan, taking care not to burn them.

Yield: 4Author: Gordon Ramsay

If you are going to make this, please note the following:
I must point out that Gordon's recipe doesn't mention adding water after adding the tamarind liquid; I had to add at least a cup if not a cup and a half.

The carrots and butternut cannot possibly cook in just the little amount of thickish tamarind water and most definitely not in only 8 to 10 minutes as his book says it will take.
When I make this again I will part boil the carrots and butternut before adding to the recipe.

I also used frozen okra from Tesco's as I couldn't get fresh on the day I wanted it. I also go the tamarind (wet block) from Tesco
in their world food bit and the toor dal from Asian grocers.

ingredients:

Serves 4 For the Masala you will need:

2 tsp fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp yellow split peas

2 tsp coriander seeds

6 curry leaves

4 dried red chillies

For the Sambar you will need:

200g toor dal or it is also known as tuvar dal

6 curry leaves

100g tamarind pulp

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp fennel seeds

½ tsp cumin seeds

4 dried red chillies

1 medium aubergine, trimmed and cut into 2cm pieces

¼ butternut squash, peeled, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces

3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces

at least a cup of water

1tsp ground turmeric

1tsp sea salt - or to taste

50g okra - washed, dried, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces

4 tomatoes - skinned and chopped

1tsp ground coriander

1tsp red chilli powder fresh coriander - leave only and chopped

1tbsp of ghee or melted unsalted butter

instructions

Place a frying pan over medium heat and carefully roast all the ingredients for the masala. When the spices begin to smell very fragrant and are nicely roasted, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool completely.

Use a spice grinder or pestle and mortar to grind the spices into a powder.

Tip into a small bowl and add enough water, about 3-4 tablespoons, to form a thick paste with a slow-dropping consistency and set aside.

Put the toor dal and curry leaves into a medium saucepan and cover with 1½ litres of water. Bring to the boil and skim off any scum that rises to the surface. Reduce the heat slightly and leave to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the lentils are tender. Drain and set aside.

Soak the tamarind in 200ml of very hot water for 20 minutes, break down the block into smaller pieces. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve pushing through as much as possible but discard the husks and seeds - you only want the thickish liquid.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pan and add the mustard, fennel and cumin seeds and the dried chillies.Cook for 1 minute or until the spices become very fragrant. Now add the aubergine, butternut squash and carrots, stirring well to coat the vegetables in the spices. After 2-3 minutes add the turmeric, salt and tamarind water to the pan and bring to the boil.

Boil for a good while until the vegetables are tender but not mushy. You will need to add water. I must have added at least a cup and a half by the time the carrots had softened - please see my note above.Add the okra, cooked lentils, ground masala spice, chopped tomatoes, ground coriander and chilli powder to the pan and stir well.
Add more water to the pan if necessary. (The sambar should be quite thin in consistency.)

Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and leave to simmer for 5 minutes or so until the okra is just tender. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Just before serving, stir through the chopped coriander and ghee or butter.Serve the sambar hot with rice and warm naan bread. I served mine with Jeera rice.

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Jeera rice

7 comments

Valerie Harrison (bellini)28 January 2010 at 12:39
It seems to me that the Brirish make over the top delicious Indian foods.
Nina Timm28 January 2010 at 15:08
I am not a fan of the man, but he can cook and so can you!!!!
Peter M28 January 2010 at 19:52
Oh my, the containers with the spices excite me. The aroma in home when you toasted the spices must have been intoxicating!
Anupama Krishnamurthy3 February 2010 at 01:55
Jan, loved your blog. Your Sambar puts even a south-indian like me to shame. Masala-dabba looks beautiful. I will be visiting your blog regularly and trying new things.

Thanks,
Anupama
AZA26 March 2012 at 17:47
Theres too much tamarind in this recipe.It came out too sour!!! I would use 50g of tamarind maximum or maybe evewn less.
Jan26 March 2012 at 19:32
AZA - This is the exact amount I used and as is stated in Gordon's Book.
I'm thinking you used Tamarind PASTE??.....
I used a Tamarind block - see the bit 'you only want the thickish liquid'.
AZA30 March 2012 at 22:08
Jan - No, I didnt use tamarind paste but I must have probably used too much water to dilute the tamarind.So the liquid wasnt thick.Anyway I still think that there is no need to use so much tamarind...you can make sufficient amonunt of thickish liquid with just 50g and less water for sure.