Tiffin sambar for idlis

Sambar and idlis are the most eaten breakfast in our households back home. Everyone has at least one recipe for sambar. But nothing still stops us from drooling over a plate of idli and sambar in a restaurant. The reason being every sambar is different and unique in its own way. The recipe for this sambar is from my friend vidya from whose mom i learn a lot of recipes. I eat it all the time at their place and since i started cooking i have been implementing it in my kitchen too. I make the same sambar for pongal, vada and dosa too. Very easy to make with very less dhal or no dhal also. The spices are freshly ground and which is why it tastes heavenly. You can literally drink oodles of it! This recipe very much resembles the ones you eat at the hotels back home. You may even name it hotel sambar.

Ingredients

 2 tablespoons cooked and mashed thur dhal
1/2 lemon sized tamarind juiced
1 cup onions
2 tablespoons tomato chopped
2 teaspoons urad dhal
2 teaspoons channa dhal
3 teaspoons of coriander seeds
4 redchillies
a few cilantro leaves to garnish

For tempering

1/4 teaspoon mustard
1/4 teaspoon urad
1/4 teaspoon hing
a few curry leaves

Method

Dry roast the urad dhal, channa dhal, chillies, coriander seeds and grind them with the chopped tomatoes in to a coarse paste adding less water. In a skillet heat the oil and add the mustard, urad, hing and curry leaves. Once they splatter add the onions and saute them till they turn glossy. Now add the tamarind juice with lots of water and boil it till the raw smell goes. Stir in the mashed dhal and mix in well. Add the ground mixture, salt and keep it on stove till it comes to boil and switch it off. Garnish with cilantro and serve it with tiffins of your choice.