Vazhakkai Sambar | Plantain Sambar | Raw Banana Sambar | வாழைக்காய் சாம்பார்

Sambar can be made with a wide variety of vegetables. The choice of vegetables is based on a personal liking and are optional. Each vegetable lends a different flavor and taste. I am sharing sambar recipe using raw banana, which is high in protein. Check out other Sambar Recipes which I have already posted :- Traditional Sambar, Beetroot Sambar, Radish Sambar, Keerai Sambar, Mango Sambar, Tiffin Sambar, Tomato Sambar, Kovakkai (Tindora) Sambar, Avarakkai Arachuvitta Sambar  
Ingredients :-
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Toor dal	½ cup
Onions (roughly chopped)	1
Plantain	1
Tamarind	gooseberry size
Turmeric powder	¼ tsp
Chilli powder	1 tsp
Sambar powder	1 tsp
Castor oil	¼ tsp
Salt	to taste

Seasoning :-

Hing	generous pinch
Mustard	¼ tsp
Curry leaves	few
Fenugreek	¼ tsp
Oil | Ghee	1 tbsp

Method :-
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1). Pressure cook dal with 1 cup of water, turmeric powder and castor oil for 3 whistles. Once pressure releases, mash the dal well with a masher and keep aside. Soak tamarind in hot water, extract juice and discard the pulp. Rinse. peel the skin and cube the plantain. Keep it immersed in water until use to prevent discoloration. 

2). Heat a tbsp of ghee/oil, add mustard, when it splutters, add hing, curry leaves, fenu greek, finely chopped onions and saute for few minutes. Then add cubed plantain and mix. 3). Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and sambar powder and mix. Then add tamarind extract along with salt. Let it boil until the raw smell of the tamarind and the sambar powder goes. 4). Add the mashed dal along with needed water and bring it boil in a low flame. When plantain becomes tender and sambar reaches thick consistency, switch off and garnish with coriander leaves. Relish the sambar with appalam and poriyal..

Notes :-
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# Read it somewhere:- When cooking rice, reserve the water used for washing the rice. Immerse the cubed plantain in that rice water to avoid stickiness.
# Do not over cook the vazhaikkai and make it mushy.
# For faster cooking, soak the dal in water for 30 minutes before cooking.

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