Allum Pachadi

Its the weekend to time to eat something special dinner, lunch, brunch or breakfast. Today was Idli for dinner. And Idli is never complete without Chutney and Sambar. And the sambar recipe I finally was able to perfect is something which takes me back to a specific breakfast place in Hyderabad


Allum Pachadi (Sweet and Spicy Ginger accompaniment)

Allum Pachadi

Ingredients:

1. 1-1/2 cup of peeled and chopped
2. 2 teaspoons chana dal
3. 1 teaspoon urad dal
4. 2 red chillies
5. 3-4 garlic cloves
6. 3/4-1 teaspoon salt
7. 2 teaspoons brown sugar or jaggery
8. 1 tablespoon oil+1 teaspoon
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds
10. few curry leaves
11. 1/2 cup thick juice from a lime sized tamarind

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the chana dal and urad dal and red chillies. Drain and set aside. In the remaining oil fry the ginger and garlic for 5-7 minutes. Let it cool

Grind all these ingredients along with the tamarind juice into a smooth paste

Heat the teaspoon oil in a pan and fry the cumin and mustard seeds till they start to splutter. Add curry leaves and fry. Add this tempering to the chutney. Enjoy

Sambar for idli (Sweet and spicy lentil soup)

Sambar

Ingredients:

1. 1-11/2 tablespoons home made sambar powder or any store bought
2. 1 cup toor dal soaked in 2 cups of water
3. 2 cups juice from tamarind the size of a medium lemon
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric
5. 1 green chilly chopped
6. Vegetable mix ( 1/4 cup each of roughly chopped onions, carrots, potatoes, 1 indian brinjal, 1 drumstick cut into pieces)
7. For tempering:  1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds, Hing/ asafoetida 2 red chillies, few curry leaves
8. 2-3 teaspoons sugar

In a pressure cooker add the dal and the water they were soaking in and cook for 4 whistles. Let the steam escape, open the cooker and mash them. Add the tamarind juice and all the other ingredients and bring it to a boil and slow boil for 20 minutes. Add the tempering i.e heat the oil fry the cumin, hing and mustard seeds. Add red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a couple of minutes. Add it to sambar, bring it to boiling again. Boil for 5 more minutes. Serve with your idlis or vada or dosa.