Vendakkai Sambhar (Lady's Finger / Okra Sambhar)

Category:  Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins 
Cooking Time: 30 mins
Servings: 3-4 persons

Vendakkai Sambhar

 Ingredients:

• Toor Dhal - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Castor Oil - few drops 
• Small onions - 12-15 nos / Big Onion, chopped- 1 no
• Tomato, roughly chopped  - 1 no.
• Vendakkai / Lady's finger / Okra - 10-15 nos
• Tamarind - lemon sized (I used 1/2 tsp of tamarind concentrate)
• Sambhar powder (Home made / Store bought) -1 - 1 1/2 tsp
• Cooking Oil -2 tsp
• Ghee - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida (Hing) - a generous pinch
• Curry leaves - few
• Water - as required
• Coriander leaves - 3-4 tbsp
• Salt-  to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook Dhal with required water, turmeric, few drops of castor oil for 3 whistles in medium flame
2. Wash the Lady's finger and wipe dry with paper / kitchen towel; trim the ends and cut into 1 inch pieces
   
3. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan and saute the lady's finger pieces well till it starts to brown and without any stickiness
   
4. Once it gets sauted, remove from the pan and set aside
   
5. In the same pan, add 1/2 tsp of oil and add the chopped onion along with pinch of salt; saute well for 1-2 mins
   
6. Add the tomato pieces and saute for another 1-2 mins till it turns mushy
   
7. Add the sauted lady's finger pieces to it and mix well
   
8. Add a pinch of turmeric powder, Sambhar powder and little salt, saute for a min
   
9. Add the tamarind extract with 1/2 cup of water and allow the vegetable to cook well
   
10. When the veg gets cooked, add the cooked dhal and mix well
    
11. Check for salt and adjust the water consistency as per requirement
12. Allow the sambhar to boil for few mins in low / medium flame
13. In another pan, prepare tadka by heating 1/2 tsp oil and 1 tsp of ghee, once it gets hot add the mustard seeds, followed by asafoetida, cumin seeds, curry leaves
14. Add the tadka / tempering to the boiling sambar and switch it off
    
15. Garnish with coriander leaves
    
16. Serve hot with Rice / Idly / Dosa / Pongal