Spicy Sambar / Kolumbo-2.

Spicy Sambar / Kolumbo ....... Adding Brinjal (Vangi) ~ Potatoes ~ Bottle Gourd (Lauki) ....... Goes very well with Rice, Roti, Vada's, Appo, Dosa And Idly ....... Yumz ......

Sambar is a typical South Indian Dish / Curry prepared with lentils, veggies and spiced up with masala. This is served with vadas, Idlies etc. We GSB Saraswat Konkani call this Kolumbo too and is also served with Rice. You can add in any veggies of your choice for the sambar but usually when served with Idly, Vada, Dosa etc. we prepare it with any one of these veggies like onions, tomatoes, gardudde (Lauki), pumpkin, carrot etc. When serving it with rice we keep the sambar which is called kolumbo texture a little bit thicker and usually potatoes, brinjals, drumsticks are added to the same. The choice is however yours, you may serve it with any veggies of your preference.

Ingredients : 

Tuvar dal :1 cup 

Tamarind : lemon sized ball 

Vegetables : 2-3 cups. Here I have added potatoes, bottle gourd and brinjal. 

Sambar Masala Powder : 3 tblsp heaped

Hing Powder 1 tsp, 

Salt to taste 

Curry leaves 8-10 

Mustard :1 tsp 

Oil : 3-4 tsp, 

Finely chopped coriander leaves for garnishing : ½ cup

Add water to tamarind and remove a thick pulp, strain and keep it ready. Cook the Vegetables of your choice with minimum water and keep aside. Wash and pressure cook the tuvar dal by adding 3 cups of water to 4 whistles. Cool and remove from the cooker into a vessel and churn well to get an smooth textured dal. Add in the cooked vegetables, tamarind paste, salt to taste and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and let the dal with veggies simmer till you prepare the tempering. You can add in a few tomato pieces and decrease the quantity of tamarind paste if you prefer. Usually I do add in tomatoes, today I have not added them.

Meanwhile, heat oil in a small pan, when hot add in the mustard seeds, when they begin to splutter add curry leaves and hing powder, add in the sambar masala powder and mix well, add a little bit of the simmering dal to this and mix if you find the masala is too dry and you find it sticking to the bottom and getting burnt.

Pour this into the dal with vegetables and mix well, add water if necessary to bring to required consistency and bring to a boil, then simmer the sambar for 5-10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Vada, Idly, Rice, Appo, Dosa, Roti or any other dish you wish. I sometimes serve this with spiced rice too or mildly spiced pulav.