பரங்கிக்காய் சாம்பார் / Pumpkin Sambar / Parangikai Sambar

I prepare this sambar very often using small onions and fresh masala powder

Ingredients and Preparation
Part 1 - Toor dhal

• Toor dhal - 1/2 cup
• Water - to pressure cook
• Methi seeds - little
• Turmeric powder - little
• Oil - a drop

Pressure cook toor dhal with given items for 4 whistles.Mash and keep it ready

Part 2 - Sambar Powder

• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Dried red chillies - 6 nos
• Mustard, Cumin , Methi - 1/4 teaspoon each
• Corainder seeds - 3/4 teaspoon

Fry the above items in oil.Cool and grind it to a fine powder

Part 3 - Saute

• Oil - little
• Small onions - 15 nos (peel and cut into small pieces)
• Pumpkin - 1 cup (chopped into cubes)
• Tomato - 2 nos (small cubes)

Part 4 - Tamarind Extract

• Tamarind - big lemon sized ball
• Luke warm water - 2 cups
• Salt - 1 teaspoon

Soak tamarind in 2 cups of water for 15 minutes.Squeeze and extract the juice.Put salt in it.Discard the pulp

Part 5 - Garnishing

• Coconut - 1/4 cup or more (grind it with little water)
• Coriander leaves - little

Part 6- Seasoning

• Ghee - 1 tablesppon
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
• Methi seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Curry leaves - little

Method

• In a kadai heat little oil and saute curry leaves and fry onions with a pinch of salt

• Add tomatoes and saute it with a pinch of salt

• Put pumpkin pieces and swirl it once.Cook it covered in a medium flame for about 7 minutes till it becomes soft

• Add the mashed toor dhal and mix well

• Add freshly prepared sambar powder (part 2).Por little water and mix well without lumps

• Pour in the tamarind extract and let it boil for 5 minutes

• In a separate kadai heat ghee season with items given under "Part 5" and pour it over sambar

• Now garnish with coconut paste and coriander leaves.Mix it once and switch off the stove

Now Pumpkin Sambar is ready.You can mix with plain rice and eat with any curry/ appalam.Otherwise it can be served with Idly / Dosa