Making Sambar - Tam Bram style!

Being a Tam Bram (a fancy way of calling Tamil Brahmins) I am expected to know how to make sambar. People assume it is passed on through genes, like how a German can drink beer or Irish can make potatoes.. and well perhaps it is! So here is the much in demand sambar recipe for all my friends out there.

Ingredients

1 cup Toor dal
1 large tomato, cut into medium size
2 capsicum, cut medium size
Lemon sized ball of tamarind
1 spoon mustard seeds
1 spoon jeera
2 spoons sambhar powder
1 spoon cooking oil
a pinch of turmeric
a pinch of asafoetida
Salt to taste

Wash the dal, add a pinch of turmeric and boil it with water. You can use a cooker to boil it fast. The dal should be cooked in a way that you can mash it.
In a small bowl, soak the tamarind. Best to heat up the water a little to soften the tamarind.
In a pan, add the oil and once it is heated, add the mustard seeds and jeera. Add the tomatoes and capsicum. You can replace capsicum with any vegetable.
Squash the tamarind until it completely mixes with the water and add the tamarind water. Let it cook well until the smell of raw tamarind fades completely.
Add salt.
Add two spoons of sambhar powder and strir well to remove any lumps.
Drain the dal water into the pan and cook well.
Mash the dal completely and add.
Reduce flame to medium and let the sambhar cook well.
Finally, add just a pinch of asafoetida.

Sambhar ready!