Spinach sambhar or Lentils and Spinach Curry is an easy sambhar recipe with the goodness of lentils and spinach together. It is like any other sambhar where the usual vegetables are replaced by spinach. And the cooking time is less as it is not needed to pressure cook the lentils again with the veggies. You can serve it with rice or as a side to idlis or dosas.
Ingredients:
- 100g Toor dal or Split yellow pigeon peas
- 1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- A pinch of Asafoetida
- 3 teaspoons Oil
- Tamarind, small lemon sized
- 1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon Urad dal
- A pinch of Fenugreek seeds
- 2 Shallots
- 1 Tomato
- 2 Green chillies
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1/4 cup Coriander leaves
- 2 cups Spinach, cleaned and washed
- 1 tablespoon Sambhar powder
- 2 cups of Water
- Salt as required
Preparation:
Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water. Roughly chop the shallots, spinach and coriander leaves. Slice the tomato and green chillies. Set aside.
Wash the toor dal and pressure cook it for 3 whistles or 5 minutes along with turmeric, 1 teaspoon oil, asafoetida and 1 and 1/2 cups of water over a medium flame. Let the pressure settle itself.
Heat remaining oil in a kadai or skillet over a medium flame. Add mustard seeds. Once it crackles ass in urad dal and fenugreek. Allow it to brown. Next add shallots, tomato, green chillies, curry leaves, coriander leaves and spinach. Cook till the spinach reduces in volume.
Add the sautéed spinach mix, extracted tamarind, sambhar powder and salt to the pressure cooked dal.
Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables become tender.
Serve hot with rice.
