Idly, sambhar and filter kappi(coffee) is Tamilnadu’s traditional healthy breakfast recipe as rice and dal in idly and dal in sambar makes a complete protein. This tiffin sambar is a perfect side dish for idly and dosa. You can make this sambar without vegetables or with any vegetables like yellow pumpkin, potatoes(urulaikilangu sambar), shallots(vengaya sambar), brinjal or drumsticks. Addition of ghee and sambar powder make this sambhar more flavorful and aromatic. Every week I used to make this sambhar for idly. The hot idly and sambhar combination is just heavenly in taste. Do try this sambar without tamarind for idly dosa and let me know how it turned out.
   

    Ingredients

           1/2 Cup of Moong Dal
           1/2 Tsp of Turmeric Powder
           3 Tomatoes,Chopped
           2 Big Carrots,Chopped
           Salt to taste
           1/2 Tsp of Sesame Oil
           2 Cups of Water

      
    To Temper

           2 Tsp of Sesame Oil
           1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
           1 Tsp of Urad Dal
           1/2 Tsp of Fenugreek
           Pinch of Hing (Asafoetida)
           1 Sprig of Curry Leaves
           1 Red Onion, Chopped
           2 Red Chilies
           2 Green Chilies, Slit
           1 Tsp of Sambhar Powder
    
    Other Ingredients

            1 Tsp of Sugar
            2 Tbsp of Chopped Cilantro (Coriander Leaves)
            1 Tsp of Ghee
    
    Method

• Wash and chop the carrots, onion, tomato and slit the green chilies.
• Soak the dal for 30 mins, wash and drain the water.
• In a pressure cooker, add dal, chopped carrots, tomatoes, turmeric powder, salt, oil and water. Close the lid and pressure cook this for 3 whistles and turn off the flame.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, urad dal, red chilies, fenugreek, asafoetida and curry leaves, after it splutters, add chopped red onion, slited green chilies, fry this until it turns transparent. In a medium flame, add sambhar powder, give a quick stir. Now transfer the dal to the pan, add little water, mix well, bring it to a rolling boil, add sugar, mix well, boil for 2 mins and turn off the stove. Finally add ghee and chopped coriander leaves.

    Tips

• Perfect side dish for idly and dosa.
• You can use any vegetables like potato or pumpkin or brinjal or drumstick or small onion.
• You can also use toor dal in place of moong dal.
• Use sesame oil for this sambar.
• Adjust the amount of spiciness according to your taste.            

            
    Health Benefits of Moong Dal

• They are high in fiber and protein, and low in fat. Eating lentils and other foods that are rich in soluble dietary fiber can help decrease high cholesterol. 
• This dal is very good for pregnant ladies, kids and older people as it is easily digestible.

        Kootu is a south Indian dish often served with rice, nothing but a fusion of dal, vegetable and aromatic spices. Poricha kootu are made with urad dal and pepper is called poricha (means Fried in Tamil). Here spices, coconut and dal are fried and ground to a powder. Dal and vegetables are cooked in a pressure cooker seperately. Then cooked dal, vegetables and ground powder are boiled in a pan. Finally tempering with mustard seeds was added to the dal.


You can use any vegetables of your choice to make this kootu. Here I added carrot, beans and turnip. This is very healthy dish with full of proteins and vitamins. Kootu with rice tastes divine with a tsp of ghee.


      Ingredients

      To Pressure Cook

           1 Cup of Mixed Vegetables(carrot, beans and turnip), Finely Chopped
           1/2 Cup of Toor Dal (Thuvaram Paruppu)
           1/2 Tsp of  Turmeric Powder
           1 Tsp of Sambhar powder / Red Chilly Powder       
           1/2 Tsp of Oil
           Salt to taste

       To Saute and Grind

            1 Tsp of Coriander Seeds
            1 Tsp of Urad Dal
            1/2 Tsp of Whole Pepper
            1/2 Tsp of Whole Cumin
            2 Red Chillies, Big
            4 Tsp of Grated Coconut, I used dry dessicated coconut
            1/2 Tsp of Oil           

       To Temper

             2 Tsp of Oil/ghee
             1 Tsp of Mustard Seeds
             1 Tsp of Urad Dal
             1/2 Tsp of Whole Cumin
             Few Curry Leaves
             Pinch of Hing
             


       Method

       To Pressure Cook

• Soak the toor dal in water for 1/2 hr. Drain it and wash it in cold running tap water.
• In a pressure cooker, add toor dal, oil, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, salt, enough water (2 cups) and mixed vegetables. Close the lid and cook it for 3 whistles. Or pressure cook it for 10 mins in medium low flame.

       To Saute and Grind

• Heat oil in a pan, add coriander Seeds, urad dal, whole pepper, whole cumin, red chillies, fry until dal turns golden brown color. Finally add grated coconut, fry until it changes color. Turn off. Let it cool down for 10 mins. Grind it to a powder in a blender/mixie.

• Open the cooker lid, turn on the heat, add the ground spice powder, let it boil for 5 mins and turn off the heat.

       To Temper  

• Meanwhile, heat oil in a pan, when it is hot, add mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin, curry leaves and hing, when mustard seeds splutters and dal changes color.Transfer the tempering to the dal.
• Hot mixed vegetable poricha kootu is ready to serve with rice.

     Tips
      

• Add green chillies instead of red chilly powder.
• You can enrich the taste by adding 1tsp of ghee.
• You can use any vegetables of your choice.