Udipi Sambar - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1/2 cup tuvar dal
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1 teaspoon Urad Dal
6 red chilies
1 1/2 tablespoons coriander seeds
5 sprigs curry leaves
1/4 coconut, grated
25 -30 shallots, cleaned and peeled. (small red onions called sambar onions in india)
1/2 teaspoon mustards seeds
1 pinch hing
2 green chilies
2 cups chopped into big chunks vegetables, of choice (brinjals, carrots, french beans, pumpkin, yam)
50 ml tamarind pulp (lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/3 cup of water.)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons jaggery or 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar, can be substituted i guess
oil

Preparation

Cook the tuvar dal till tender then mash.
Heat 1 tblsp oil in a heavy bottomed pan and roast the fenugreek seeds till light red, then add 1/2 tsp urad dal and let it saute till they change colour too.
Add the red chilli and coriander seeds.
Add a 3 sprigs of curry leaves and the grated coconut and roast.
They should all turn light brown and aromatic.
Cool and grind to a fine paste with a little water.
Heat 1 tblsp oil in a pan.
Add the mustard seed.
When they splutter add 1/2 tsp of urad dal and the hing.
Fry for a minute.
Add the onions and green chillies, slit and the rest of the curry leaves.
Add your choice of vegetables Fry till you get a nice aroma.
Add a little water.
Cover and cook till the veges are done.
Extract pulp from the tamarind and add to the vegetables.
Add salt and crumbled jaggery (you can use brown sugar i think instead) and cook till the raw smell of the tamarind disappears.
Add the mashed dal and the ground masala.
Mix weel and add a little water if reqd.
Simmer for a few mins.
Serve with dosas, idlis or rice.
And enjoy.