Sambar

Sambar is sooo famous, does it need an explanation?
Wikipedia calls it - also spelt sambhar, it is a lentil-based vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind. It is popular in South Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines. In malayalam, this dish's name is written as സാമ്പാർ.

Based on the vegetable which is the 'hero', we can make vengaya / chinna ulli sambar, radish sambar, vendakka / ladies finger sambar and Drumstick / murungakka sambar. The basic premises is the same. Boil and cook the vegetables in tamarind pulp with salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida. Then add boiled tur-dal with sambar powder.
a)You can grind the sambar spices fresh with either fried coconut or with fresh coconut or with no coconut at all. But I usually stock up on sambar powder which makes making sambar so very easy.
b) Adding Jaggery to the sambar is a bone of contention. Mysore sambar has a copious amounts of Jaggery in it. My mother-in-law would never add any, but I do add a small teaspoon to balance the taste. So that is your choice.

Restaurants just tip in the vegetables with all the ingredients at one go in a cooker and after the vegetables + dal get cooked, they add the tadka of spluttered mustard, red chilly and curry leaf. It is very easy to make but you must be really careful or by the time the dal gets cooked, the vegetables might get mashed beyond recognition! The chefs come with years of experience.
So at home, boil the dal till half done and then add the vegetables and rest of the ingredients. Give 2 whistles and then add the 'tadka'. That will do the trick.

My advice to you is to stock up on the sambar powder. It is a huge blessing.

Ingredients:
Vegetables - 3 cups
(Typical Tamil Brahmin ingredients include ash gourd, drumstick, brinjal, ladiesfinger. We add carrot at home and when available radish too. Capsicum can also be added. Some people (esp) restaurants add pumpkin and potato. If you are keen on adding onion, slice them long and thick.)

Tur dal / tuvara parippu / pigeon pea - 1/2 cup, pressure cooked (in 1 1/4 cup water) till soft and mashed
Tamarind - gooseberry size, soaked in warm water
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tbsp or Asafoetida gum - 1 pea sized ball
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp
Jaggery / sharkara - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilly - 2, broken
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Chopped coriander (optional) for garnish

Method:
Cook covered the cubed hard vegetables like ash gourd, carrot, potato and drumstick in 2 cups water for 5 minutes.

Then add the tamarind pulp (1-1/2 to 2 cups), salt, turmeric powder, asafoetida, sambar powder with the soft vegetables like brinjal and ladies finger.

Once the vegetables get soft, add the cooked tur dal.

Mix well and allow to boil. Add more water, if necessary to get a thinner gravy.
Add jaggery now, if you plan to.
Once boiled, reduce flame and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Turn of flame and add the spluttered mustard, red chilly and curry leaf.
Garnish with fresh coriander.
Serve with rice, idly, dosa or pongal.