VJ's Kitchen....

Ingredients:

Vazhaikai or Pumpkin or Spinach or Okra

Toor dhaal - 1/2 cup
Channa Dhaal - 1 tbsp
Green Chillies - 2 (slit lenghtwise)
Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized, soaked in 2 cups of water
Asafoetida, Turmeric Powder -  A pinch each
Curry Leaves - few.
Mustard Seeds - 1 tbps
Oil - 2 or 3 tbsp
Salt - To taste.
Rice Flour - 1 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1.  Pressure cook the toor dhaal with enough water to 3 whistles.
2.  Extract the juice out of the tamarind and keep aside.
3.  In a kadai, heat the oil, add in mustard seeds and let it splutter.
4.  Now add in the channa dhaal and fry the same.
5.  Throw in the chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and turmeric powder and saute for around 10 seconds.

6.  Carefully add in the extracted tamarind juice.
7.  In the mean time, cube the pumpkins/vazhaikai or chop the spinach.
8.  Add the vegetable/spinach onto the tamarind juice, salt, cover it and let it boil.

9.  Mash the cooked toor dhaal and reserve it.
10.  Check if the vegetable/spinach has cooked and then add in the mashed toor dhaal.

11.  Let it boil for around 5 minutes and simmer it down. Keep stirring it.
12.  If you think that the sambar is too watery, you can add the rice flour at this stage and stir well.
13.  Let this boil for another 2-3 minutes, check for salt.

14.  Switch off the gas and serve this sambar with hot rice.
15.  Accompanients can range from raita, curry, papads or vadam.