Sambar and Cabbage Thoran

This next recipe is a traditional Kerela meal, that I  made yesterday.
 I really love the smell of onions being fried in coconut oil.. mmmm... makes me hungry instantly!
Anyway page with the sambar recipe in my cook book, has a whole lot of haldi stains on it, reminding me about the number of attempts made, to get to the achievement of perfect sambar. The first time, I forgot to put the weight on the cooker, which resulted in a haldi splattered kitchen (including my recipe book) :(   The next time, it tasted more like a  North Indian dal, and another time too much tamarind was used! But now i have finally mastered the art of making good sambar!
So here goes..
Sambar, Steamed rice, Cabbage Thoran and Pappadum

SAMBAR:
Ingredients
3/4th tea cup of toovar dal
1 large onion sliced/ or a handful of peeled baby onions(madras onions)
1 potato peeled and halved
1 tomato
2 small brinjals
1 drumstick
small ball of tamrind
1 tsp hing
1 tsp haldi
2 tsp sambar powder (brands: 777/ eastern sambar powder)
salt to taste

For the tadka:
1 tsp methi seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
kadi patta

Procedure:
 Put together the dal, onions, potatoes, brinjals, drumsticks and haldi with a little water and pressure cook with 2 whistles

In the mean while boil 1 cup of water, add the hing, tomato, tamarind. Boil it till the tomatoes are cooked

Add the contents of the pressure cooker to this now.

Next add the coconut mixed with sambar powder

Allow this mixture to bubble away for a few minutes before switching off the gas

Now for the tadka, heat about 1 tablespoon of cocnut oil in a pan, once the oil is hot, add the methi seeds, followed by mustard seeds, dry red chilli and kadi pata.
Add this crackling mixture to the sambar and serve hot with steamed rice.


Cabbage Thoran
1 small cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup grated coconut
1 large onion chooped
1/2 tsp haldi
salt to taste
1 tbsp coconut oil

Tadka
1/2 tbsp cocnut oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
3-4 kadipatta
1 dry red chilli

Procedure
Once the oil is hot, put it the mustard seeds, kadi patta, dry red chilli, once it starts crackling, add in the onions.
Once the onions take on a translucent colour, add haldi
Next add the shredded cabbage.
Saute for about 10-15 mins
Add salt
Switch off the gas and garnish with the grated coconut
Serve hot

Happy  cooking! :)