Vendhaya vendai sambhar

Ingredients:

• Ladies finger - 1/4 kg.
• Onion big - 2
• Thick tamarind extract - 2 to 3 tbl. sps
• Cooked tuar dal - 2 tbl. sps [ heaped ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
• Jaggery - small lemon size [ optional ]
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 1/2 tbl. sp.

For seasoning:

• Oil - 1 tbl. sp.
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 sp
• Fenugreek - 1/4 sp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - little

Grind together:

• Red chillies - 10
• Fenugreek - 1 tsp
• Bengal gram dal - 1 tbl. sp.
• Garlic - 3 flakes
• Small onions - 4 [peeled]
• or big onion - 1/2

Fry the above spices in little oil and grind with 1 1/2 sps. of grated fresh coconut.

Method:
Peel and slice onions length wise. Cut ladies finger into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Then heat little oil and fry onions and ladies finger together for few minutes. Add diluted tamarind extract and cook till vegetable becomes soft. Then add mashed tur dal,salt, ground paste with enough water. Cook till raw smell goes and the gravy becomes thick. Fry the seasonings in oil and mix with sambhar, and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Note: When using fenugreek in any recipe do not over fry since it becomes bitter. Add at the end, after frying other spices.