Recipe: Arachu vitta Sambhar (Sambhar without Dal)

Make this at home and get back to me if you don't get appreciation from each and everyone who eats this!

Ingredients: (for 500 ml of thick sambhar)

For masala:

Grated coconut - 1 cup (100 gms) (cut the coconut into pieces and grate it in a food processor or mixie)
Coriander seeds - 2 table spoons (heapful)
Red gram (Toor dal) - 1 table spoon (heapful)
Red chillies - 2 (remove the stalks)
Asafoetida - A pinch

For curry:
Water - 1 litre
Drumstick or shallots - 1/2 cup of cut or peeled pieces
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size (or 1 tea sp. pre-made tamarind paste)
Turmeric - 1 tea spoon
Salt - To taste

For seasoning:
Oil - 2 tea spoons
Mustard - 1/2 tea spoon
Bengal gram (Urad dal) - 1/2 tea spoon
Curry leaves - A few

Preparation:
1. Soak the tamarind in 200 ml water for 3 minutes. Use your hand to draw the juice from the tamarind (using your hand adds to the flavor) and remove the remaining tamarind pulp. (You can use a strainer to remove the particles from the water.)

Tip: You can use the tamarind to scrub steel dishes. It makes them shine.


2. Dry roast the masala ingredients in low flame just until the
red gram changes color to a light brown. Be careful not to burn the coconut (keep the flame low if you're not sure).

3. Grind the masala ingredients in a mixie or food processor. You can add a little bit of water if it is too dry. Set aside.

Cooking:
1. In a deep, wide-mouthed vessel add the tamarind water. Mix the ground masala to it and set it on the stove in high flame. Add turmeric along with the drumstick or shallots. Let it boil for 10 minutes. Stir from time to time. This will cook the shallots and remove the raw smell from the condiments.

2. Reduce the flame for 3 minutes to simmer and then turn off the stove.

Seasoning:
Heat the oil for seasoning. Splutter the mustard seeds. Add the urad dal and be careful not to burn it. Add the curry leaves. Pour this mixture into the curry.

Serving:
Serve with rice and potato chips or roast potatoes to be awarded the best cook award!

Thanks shall try it out and get back to you! :-)

This dish is not called sambar but kaara kuzhambu :-)

I would probably call it arachuvitta kuzhambu as it is made with freshly ground spices. Maybe...not claiming this to be right!

To revive this thread.... Araichivitta Sambar can't be made without toor dhal... The very term "Sambhar" means that it is with dhal, else it is called "Kuzhambu". Araichivitta Sambhar is just that the sambar powder (which we get nowadays in packets) is not used and freshly grind ingredients are used. Sambhar traditionally, is a mix of vegetables, seasonings,sambar powder and dhal. In this cxase, the sambar powder is made instantly and only variation in this would be to add grated coconut, as this means this sambar cannot be preserved, as coconut has the quality of getting spoilt easily. Any sambhar, made with readily grinded masala can be termed araichivitta sambar. As "araichivitta" just means "grinded and poured". Araichi is the process of grinding and vitta is pouring into the kadai.