Vengaya Sambhar 

Ingredients

1. Small Onion - 1/2 kg

2. Toor Dhal - 6 table spoons.

3. Tamarind paste - 1 table spoon / tamarind lemon size

4. Sambar powder - 1 Table spoon

5. Salt to taste

6. Oil - 1 tea spoon

7. Masala powder - 2 table spoons

8.  For seasoning , Mustard - 1 tea spoon , Fenugreek (or) venthayam - 1/2 tea spoon

9. Coriander - for garnishing

10. Turmeric powder - 1 pinch.

Masala Powder - Ingredients

1. Thaniya/Kothamalli vethai - 2 table spoons

2. pepper - 1/2 tea spoon

3. cocunut grated - 1 tea spoon

4. kadalai paruppu - 1/2 tea spoon

5. curry leaves - 10

Preparation:

Fry all the ingrdients for the Masala powder in a kadai with 1/2 tea spoon of oil.

Allow it to cool for 5 mins and grind into a coarse powder.

Masala powder is ready to use.

Small Onion Sambhar:

1. Add a pinch of turmeric powder to dhal and cook in a pressure cooker for 10 mins( 6 table spoons of dhal needs 250 ml of water for cooking). Make into a semi solid paste

2. Add the tamarind paste , salt and sambar powder into the dhall.

3. Peel the small onions and fry them for 5 mins in oil.

4. Add the onions into the sambhar

5. Add 2 table spoons of the masala powder.

6. Fry fenugreek and mustard seeds in 1/2 teaspoon of oil and add to sambhar.

7. Add corainder leaves to the sambhar.

8. pressure cook for 5 to 7 mins.

Hot and tasty vengaya sambhar is ready!

This is a south indian favourite and goes well with Rice, idly , Dosa.