Cooking with Pree

Pressure cook the toor dal with 11/2 cups water until well cooked and mushy. I cook it for 4 to 5 whistles.

Soak tamarind in hot water and extract 2 cups of tamarind water. Alternatively, if using tamarind paste, dilute the paste in 2 cups water.

Heat a kadai, and add a tsp of oil. Add the ingredients given under masala paste (except the coconut) and roast until you get a nice aroma and the chana dal turns golden.

Now grind the ingredients above with the coconut and 1/3 cup water to a smooth paste. Set it aside.

Now add the remaining oil to the pan/ kadai. Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and let the mustard seeds pop.

Now add the veggies of choice. I have used drumstick and yellow pumpkin, a little salt, turmeric powder, 1/4 cup water and let the veggies cook until they are somewhat soft.

Now add the tamarind extract and let it boil until the raw smell of tamarind is gone.

When the raw smell of tamarind is gone, add the ground paste, cooked dal, salt as needed, jaggery, water as needed to dilute the sambar and let it boil for a couple of minutes.

Top it with more fresh curry leaves and fresh coriander leaves. Taste and adjust salt ot jaggery as needed. Serve hot.

Cook dal in the instant pot or in a pressure cooker. I usually have some cooked dal in the freezer to use as needed. (I don’t cook the toor dal along with the sambar as they need longer to cook properly and in that case the veggies might get over cooked.)

Switch on the saute mode in your instant pot and add a tsp of oil. Add the ingredients given under masala paste (except the coconut), the tamarind ( if using tamarind paste don’t add that) and roast until you get a nice aroma and the chana dal turns golden.

Now grind the ingredients above with the coconut and 1/3 cup water to a smooth paste. Set it aside. If using tamarind paste, you would grind it along with these ingredients. Only the dried tamarind needs to be sauteed in the above step to be softened.

Now add the remaining oil to the Instant pot. Switch on the saute mode again.  Temper with mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and let the mustard seeds pop.

Add the veggies, 3 cups water, cooked dal, ground masala paste, salt, jaggery,  turmeric powder and cook on manual high for 7 minutes.

Release pressure naturally. Open and mix everything well. Add more fresh curry leaves and coriander leaves. Adjust salt and jaggery as needed. Serve hot.