Sambar

• ¾ cup toor dal
• 2 cups water to cook dal
• 1-2 tablespoon tamarind or tamarind paste as needed
• ¾ tablespoon salt, adjust to taste
• ¼ teaspoon Anoop turmeric 
• ½ - ¾ teaspoon Anoop Kashmiri Mirch powder (optional)
• 2 tablespoons Anoop Sambar Masala
• ¼ cup coriander leaves chopped

Vegetables

• 1 medium onion, diced (or 10 shallots) 
• 1 large tomato 
• 1 medium carrot, diced 
• 1-2 vegetable drumsticks
• 2-3 bhindi (okra, optional)
• 1 green chili slit (optional)

Tadka

• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds optional
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 pinch methi seeds (fenugreek seeds)
• ? teaspoon hing
• 1-2 dried red chili

1. Wash toor dal a few times until the water runs clear.
2. Pour 2 cups water & pressure cook for 2 to 4 whistles. 
3. When the pressure releases, mash the dal to smooth with a masher or ladle.
4. Rinse all the veggies. Scrape the drumsticks lightly & rinse. Chop them to 2 inch pieces. 
5. Dice tomatoes & chop okra to 1 inch pieces. 
6. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
7. Once the tamarind gets soft, then squeeze the tamarind in the water itself. Discard the strained tamarind and keep the tamarind pulp aside.
8. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pot. Saute onions for 1 minute. Add all the veggies & saute for 2 mins.
9. Stir in the chilli powder (optional) and pour 4 cups of water. Let the veggies cook in water.
10. When the veggies are cooked al dente, add turmeric, sambar powder and salt. 
11. Add in the tamarind pulp. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes. 
12. Stir cooked dal to the boiling sambar. Adjust salt and tamarind if needed. Bring it to a gentle boil and add coriander leaves.
13. Heat a small pan with ghee. Add mustard, cumin, methi and red chillies. When the spices pop, add curry leaves.
14. The leaves will turn crisp, then add hing & pour this to the simmering sambar.
15. Serve sambar with steamed rice, idli, vada, dosa or uttapam.