The other day I read a blog on Onion Sambar which got me thinking of my school days when my mom used to make 'special' Sambar when guests arrive. She still does it when I go to visit her with my husband. Really, if 'kunju ulli / chinnulli/ chinna vengaya' sambar was made, then the lunch was indeed special.
And the best accompaniment is - urula kizhangu podimas!
2 varieties of potato podimas
"Innikki unga aathula enna Sunday special?”
“Engaathula innikki chinna vengaya araichuvitta sambar"
If you notice in the above Tamil (written in English) dialogue, there is an extra word between vengaya (onion) and Sambar. It is "araichuvitta", meaning ground paste added Sambar. That means , we do not use Sambar powder in this recipe. The spices for this sambar has to be ground fresh. And unlike ordinary sambar which has coconut as optional, this recipe NEEDS fresh coconut.
Ms.Jayasree Srinivasan has done a wonderful job in explaining how special this sambar is for us Tamil Brahmins, as is Vathakozhambu. I would just like to add that this sambar - made with onions, is a considerably new entrant to our cuisine. Our forefathers (read: till my grand mother's generation) used to never include Onion or Garlic in their diet!
My co-sister's grandmother thought that the small onions floating in the sambar were baby fish and thus the Nair uncle prepared ulli sambar went untasted and became fertiliser for the coconut tree!I follow my mother's recipe of making ulli sambar.
Recipe Courtesy : Mrs. Radha Parameswaran
Ingredients:
Small onion/ Shallots/ Madras kantha/ chinna ulli - 1/2 kg
Tur dal - 1 cup
Tamarind - lemon sized ball, ball of 2 inch diameter
Oil (preferably coconut oil) - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 2
Curry leaf - 2 sprigs
Gur / Sharkara - 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
For the ground masala:
Coriander seed - 2 tbsp
Channa dal / kadala parippu - 3/4 tbsp
Red chilly - 6 to 8
Methi seeds / uluva / menthayam - 1 tsp
Fresh coconut - 3/4 cup
Coconut oil - 1 tsp
Prep:
1. Peel the onions.
2. Pressure cook the washed tur dal with 2 and 1/2 cups of water. Mash well and keep aside.
3. Preparing masala: Heat the oil in a heavy vessel. Fry the coriander seeds, Channa dal, red chilly and methi seeds. When the dal turns red, add the coconut and turn off flame. Continue stirring often. Cool and grind into a smooth paste.
4. Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract 3 glasses of pulp.
Method:
Heat 3 tbsp of oil in the heavy kadai and splutter the mustard. Add the broken red chilly and 1 sprig of curry leaf.
Add the peeled onions, reduce flame and start sauteeing till it gets golden brown. Some of it might get a darker shade as they peel away, that is fine.
Now add the tamarind syrup.
Bring to a boil, add salt and turmeric powder. Reduce flame and continue simmering for 5 minutes.
Add the boiled tur dal and again continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
Add the jaggery and mix well.
Add the ground paste, stir well and bring to a rolling boil.
Continue boiling for 1 minute.
Turn off flame and garnish with the last sprig of curry leaf.
Serve hot with a side of potato fry or potato podimas.
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