How to Make Sambar With Drumsticks Vegetable

Sambar is one of the very famous lentil based vegetable stew, served with Rice, Idli, Dosa and many other South Indian dishes. You can use different varieties of vegetables to make Sambar. Here I have used the long tender Drumstick vegetable (Moringa oleifera), which adds a pleasant aroma and taste to the Sambar.

Step 1: Cut the Vegetable

I have harvested fresh Drumstick vegetables from the tree in our backyard. Four pieces of them are enough to make sambar for serving about four to five persons.

Cut both ends all the way down leaving a small joint and peel of the portion of outer skin with the cut ends.
Cut the remaining length into 2 inches long pieces same as cut ends and peel off the small portion of outer skin. You need not to remove all the outer skin. removing portions of outer skin will make it cook quickly.
Place the cut pieces immediately in water.
Discard the peeled outer skin.

Step 2: Prepare the Ingredients

Take about 100 grams of shallots and remove the dry skin. Shallots are known in South India as Sambar Onion and used in making Sambar. However, you can use normal big onions also.
Shuck 4 to 5 garlic cloves and crush lightly
Take four or five green chilies, remove the stems and split them open. Do not cut into pieces
Keep all above ingredients in a small plate.

Step 3: Other Ingredients

Separate a handful of curry leaves from the stems and keep aside
Cut two tomatoes into pieces and keep aside
In a small plate take 2 teaspoons of Coriander seed powder, One teaspoon of Cumin seed powder, 3/4th teaspoon of Red chili powder and half a teaspoon of Turmeric powder. Instead of all these you can use 3 to 4 teaspoons of Sambar powder.
In addition, take about 1/4th teaspoon of Asafoetida powder and keep aside

Please see here how to make Sambar powder posted by my daughter :

https://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Make-Samba...

Step 4: Measure and Wash Yellow Lentils

Yellow lentils are used to make sambar.

Take about 200 grams of yellow lentils. We use a measuring cup at home. The lentils measured in this cup weighs approximately 200 grams.
Wash the lentils three to four times till the water runs clean

Step 5: Cook Lentils With Other Ingredients

Take about 750 ml of water in a pressure cooker and heat
Once the water starts to boil, add the cleaned yellow lentils
Add all other ingredients to the pressure cooker along with the lentils except the cut drumstick vegetable

Step 6: Pressure Cook

Allow the mix in the pressure cooker to boil. The mix bay start to froth. Stir well with a ladle.
Once the frothing stops, cover the cooker with lid and pressure cook for about ten minutes.
After about ten minutes, remove the pressure cooker from the stove and allow it to cool

Step 7: Cook Drumstick Vegetable

All vegetables we use with sambar are cooked separately to prevent overcooking.

Place the cut drumsticks over medium heat with enough water to submerge the vegetable
Add about half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and very little amount of salt
Check to see whether the vegetable is cooked properly. Take one piece from the water and press with your fingers. If it feels soft, then remove from the stove. Do not overcook.

Step 8: Prepare Tamarind Paste

You can prepare the tamarind paste while cooking the other ingredients

Take about a small lemon sized piece of tamarind and put it in warm water
After few minutes, tamarind in the water becomes soft, which you can squeeze with fingers and make paste
Filter out the tamarind paste and discard the remains

Step 9: Mix All Ingredients

Once the pressure drops down from the pressure cooker, remove the lid and place it over low flame
Add the cooked drumstick vegetable to the cooker
Add salt to taste and the tamarind paste. Mix well with a ladle and shut off the flame