Bangalore Sambhar Recipe

Bangalore Sambhar Recipe
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cup peeled and cubed Idaho potato
1 cup frozen Fordhook (large size) lima beans
1/4 cup coconut, fresh or powdered
5 dried red chili peppers
2 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt (more, if desired)
1/4 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh coriander
1 tablespoon corn oil
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon urad dal

Boil 4 cups of water in a tall saucepan over medium heat. Add toor dal and turmeric powder. Reduce heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for about 30 minutes until dal becomes creamy. If water evaporates during the cooking process, add another cup of water and cook until dal becomes creamy.

When dal is cooked, place creamy dal in a saucepan and add potatoes and lima beans with 2 cups of water to cover the vegetables.

Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Place coconut, 4 red chili peppers, garlic, and cumin in blender. Add about 1/2 cup of warm water to facilitate the grinding. Grind until smooth.

Pour contents of blender into saucepan. Add salt and tomato sauce. Stir well. Add coriander and continue to simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender.

Place corn oil in a small skillet and heat oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, but not smoking, add asafoetida, curry leaves, remaining I red chili pepper, mustard seeds, and urad dal. Fry until mustard seeds pop and urad dal is golden brown. Pour fried mustard seeds and urad dal into sambhar. Stir and let it simmer for a few minutes. If sambhar seems too thick, add 1/2 to 1 cup of warm water as desired and stir. Let it simmer for anther minutes or two.