Beetroot Sambar (Beet with lentils)

This is a classic recipe that I learnt from my mother. The sambar has the sweetness of beetroot and the red colour from the vegetable makes it look really beautiful!!! 

Beet is a vegetable packed with Iron and hence most required to be part of a woman's diet. My mother makes 3 kinds of dishes, one this wonderful sambar, second poriyal with coconut and third just dice it pressure cook and add a hint of lemon. 

So now let's move on to my sambar....

What you would need:

1. Beet root - 1 (halved and sliced)
2. Toor Dal (tuvaram paruppu) - 1/2 cup cooked
3. Tamarind - Lemon size ball
4. Salt - to taste
5. Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
6. Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Coriander leaves - few
9. Oil - 1/2 tsp
10. Asafoetida - pinch
11. Dried red chili - 1
12. Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

To roast and grind: (Use coconut oil for a wonderful aroma and flavour)

1. Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
2. Dhaniya seeds - 1 tsp
3. Dried red chilies - 2 (you can increase if you like it really hot!!!)
4. Freshly grated coconut - 1/4 cup

How to go about it:

1. Heat oil in a vessel, add mustard, curry leaves, fenugreek, dry reg chili, asafoetida, and leave it for a minute. 
2. Extract tamarind pulp and add this to the hot oil and tadka mixture. 
3. Now, add the beetroot, salt and let it all boil nicely until the beet is cooked thoroughly.
4. Roast and grind ingredients under the same heading into a smooth paste. Add to the boiling beet tamarind mixture. Leave it for about 5 minutes.
5. Now, finally add the cooked dal and jaggery. Once you add dal, do not let the mixture boil for a long time. 
6. Adjust seasoning if required. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with rice....

Njoy with your loved one's

Love...

Champa