Masoor and Chow Chow Ambat.

Whole Masoor And Seemebadanekai (Chow Chow) Ambat .....

Ambat is a gravy dish prepared with any lentil like dal or whole pulse also along with some vegetable and ground masala. It is seasoned with fried onions and served hot with rice. You can also serve this with roti / chapati in which case you should keep the gravy of the dish a bit thicker.

Slice of the thick skin of the seemebadnekai / chow chow as thinly as possible. Cut vertically in the center, remove and discard the white seed and core of the vegetable. Now cut them into cubes of medium size and keep them ready. You should have about 3 cups of the cut vegetables.

Wash well 2 cups of whole masoor and put it in a pressure cooker. Add in 4 cups of water and pressure cook to 4-5 whistles. Let the cooker cool and the pressure fall on its own. Keep this aside.

Chop one large onion finely for seasoning and keep it aside ready.

To be ground: Grind 2 cups of freshly grated coconut with marble sized tamarind and 8-10 Kashmiri Red Chilly (plus or minus depending upon individual preference) with required amount of water to a very fine and thick paste.

In a thick bottomed stainless steel vessel add in the cubed seemebadanekai / chow chow pieces and add water to its half level. Bring to a boil, lower heat and cook till almost done. Now add in the cooked masoor along with the water if any. Add in the ground masala, salt to taste and mix well. Bring the curry to a boil, lower the heat and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. 

For Seasoning : Put the chopped onion pieces in a small pan and add in about ¼ cup of oil and fry on medium heat till browned. Remove and pour over the curry.

Mix the seasoning and the curry, cover it and keep aside for 15-20 minutes for the flavours to seep in. The curry is now ready to be served. Serve hot with hot rice or roti.