Coconut Sambar

Coconut sambar is a delicacy gravy usually done for rice in Karnataka ,the main important ingredient being of course coconut.Coconut is grinded along with the spices and added to tampering and toor daal to make this gravy.

Ingredients for coconut gravy,
Toor daal-1/2 a cup
Baby carrots- 8( cut into an inch pieces)
Beans-6(cut into an inch pieces)
Peas-1/4 cup(if using dry and soaked green peas cook them along with the daal or cook it in the tempering while doing the sambar)
Coconut1/4 cup( grated)
Cumin seeds- 1 tbsp
Fresh coriander-4 strands (chopped)
Curry leaves-4
Sambar powder- 1 tbsp
Salt-1 tbsp(vary it to taste)
Red chilli powder - 1/2 -1 teaspoon
Tamarind juice- take a quarter coin sized ,mean a tablespoon of tamarind and soak it in water for an hour and take out the juice.(substitute 1/4 tbsp tamarind paste mixed with 1/4 cup of water if required)

1. Cook toor daal and carrots and beans In a  cooker till 3 whistles.You can also cook daal In a pan,but it will take longer time to cook.
2. In a blender blend the coconut, cumin seeds, coriander ,curry leaves and sambar powder with 1/2 cup of water.
3. For tempering take 2 tbsp of oil,as it heats add 1/2 tbsp of mustard seeds.When mustard seeds start spluttering add a pinch of asafoetida and 1/4 tbsp of turmeric.Add fresh peas to saute for a minute.
4. Add tamarind juice  to this and bring it to boil ,as it starts to bubble add the blended mix in step 2
5. Add cooked toor daal along with the vegetables and 1 cup of water and salt.Add 1/2 - 1 teaspoon  of red chili powder to spice this curry.