How to make… Athikai sambar

Athikaai Sambar.

This is a recipe that was suggested by my mother and perfected in my kitchen. The sambar is made with unripe figs (athikaai in Tamil). Figs are good for the heart as they have flavonoids. Figs aid in digestion and are also a great appetiser.

What you need

Figs, Cleaned and neatly cut in circles - 1 cup

Toor dal - 2 cups

Sambar powder - 3 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Fenugreek powder - 1/2 tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - a little

Shallots - 4 - 5

Tomato - 2

Dry red chillies - 3

Curry leaves - 10 -15

Coriander leaves - a bunch

Cooking instructions

In a pan, add little oil, chillies, cut tomatoes, figs and fry until the fig turns little tender.

Add dal in a rice cooker with turmeric, salt and the fried mix. Stir and cook upto one whistle. Cool and open the dal and vegetable mix.

Place the cooker on a medium flame. Add the sambar powder, fenugreek powder and asafoetida powder and stir.

In a separate pan, splutter mustard seeds in a little oil with curry leaves and shallots.

Add it to the dal mix in the cooker along with coriander leaves.

Serve with idli, dosa or rice.

Revathi Kannan works in a software firm. Her hobbies are fashion designing and writing poetry. She also loves trying out new recipes.