Vegetable Coconut Sambar Recipe

To start the paste, heat the 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the fenugreek seeds, cayenne peppers, asafetida, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chana dal.

Stir and fry for a few minutes, until the seeds have darkened a few shades and smell aromatic.

Remove the toasted spice mixture from the heat and transfer it to a food processor or blender. Add the 5 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut and 1/4 cup water. Blend until you have a smooth paste, adding just a bit more water if needed to get it moving. Set this paste aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine the 2/3 cup toor dal with 2 1/2 cups water. Bring it to a boil, then cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer gently for 1 hour, or until the dal is very soft. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not drain the dal.

Meanwhile, soak the 1/4 cup tamarind pulp in 1 1/2 cups hot water for 30 minutes. Once softened, strain the tamarind liquid into a bowl, pressing firmly on the pulp to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the spent pulp and set the tamarind liquid aside.

Add the drumstick, eggplant, potato, red bell peppers, tamarind liquid, and sea salt to taste. Cover the saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the cooked toor dal and the prepared spice paste. Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.