tamil sambar

this is for my friend who has been asking me to post recipes of sambar and rasam
well i thought why not blog it and post it for all who may like it.
sambar is essentially an everyday item on the menu either for the breakfast or lunch
traditionally sambar with sambar powder goes like this
tamarind - small lemon size
tur dal - one cup
vegetables - for the start onions, brinjal and potatoes would be fine. - around 11/2 cups
salt to taste
sambar powder - MTR brand, 777 brand or homemade would be fine - 1 tablespoon

soak the tamarind and keep aside the puree
pressure cook the tur dal

boil the vegetables in water and add tamarind puree and cook till the tamarind smell goes away :-)
now its time to add the sambar powder and allow a good boil
add tur dal - nicely mashed into this mixture and allow a boil.. the consistency of sambar can vary to taste. traditionally it should be more of dal and less of water

in a separate pan heat ghee and add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds , jeera , asafoetida and pour over the sambar.
garnish with curry leaves and tada... sambar is ready