Vengaya Sambar | Arachuvitta Sambar | Tamil Brahmin Style!

Vengaya/Small Onion Sambar is very tasty sambar, this is very popular in South India. Remembring back at my home in India, they used not use onion often and garlic no entry in my house. After marriage am knowing the benefits of onion and garlic so started using them in my cooking. Occasionally they used to prepare this only with Ragi Mudde/Millet balls and it would be very tasty. I have previously posted a different version of Vengaya Masala Sambar, here.

Ingredients

Small Onions/Shallots - 20nos
Toor dal - 1/2 cup

Oil - 5 tspns

Tamarind - 1 lemon size

Jaggery - 1 small piece(optional)
Salt

For masala(grinding)

Coriander seeds (daniya) - 4 tablespoon

Dry red chilli - 4-6 nos (As per your taste)

Venthayam(Methi seeds) - 1/2 tspn

Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Curry leaves - few
Onion - 4 nos

Preparation Method
Soak tamarind in hot water for few mins and squeeze the water.
Wash and remove skin of onion and edges of onions.Wash it again.
In a Kadai, add 2 tspns oil and fry the above masala ingredients without coconut till dal is brown. Transfer and Allow it to cool.In the same kadai, add 2 tspns of oil add onion and saute till soft. Add little salt.
Add coconut and few onions while grinding in mixie and grind it to a fine paste with little water.
Cook the toor dal, mash/whisk with water and keep ready.
Keep a vessel on stove and add tamarind water. Now add onion to this and allow it to boil and cook. Add salt and turmeric.
Add the grounded masala to it and boil.
Add few curry leaves.
Add dal mix well and allow it to boil. Add water if necessary.
Add salt.
Add jaggery for taste. Stir well and boil.(If you dont want you can skip jaggery part)

Seasoning
Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add mustard, allow it to pop then add curry leaves.

Vengaya Sambar is ready to serve. It can be served with idlis, dosai or rice.

Notes - Since this is Arachuvitta it will become thick when it cools, so adjust water accordingly.

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