Keerai Thandu Sambar with Instant Sambar Podi
Prep Time : 15 mins
Serves: 3-4
Recipe Category: Side Dish-Sambar
Recipe Cuisine: South Indian
Author:Padhu Sankar
Ingredients needed
Tender keerai thandu (stems) -2 cups
Tur Dal – 1/3 cup
Tamarind -Gooseberry sized ball
Pearl onion -5-6
Tomato – 1
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt needed
For Instant Sambar Podi
Oil – 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
Dry Red Chillies – 3
For the Seasoning
Oil – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida/hing – a pinch
Red Chilli – 1
Curry leaves – a sprig
For Garnishing
Coriander leaves – 2 tbsp finely chopped
Preparation
Peel the skin and chop pearl onion into 2-3 pieces.
Wash and pressure cook tur dal with 1/4 tsp turmeric powder for 3 whistles or until mushy. Mash it well and keep it aside. Refer how to cook dal if you are new to cooking dal.
Soak tamarind in a cup of hot water for 20 minutes. Extract its juice adding water if needed and discard the pulp. We need 1 cup of tamarind extract.
Choose tender stems. I have used amaranth (mulai keerai/thandu keerai) stems. Break and scrap/peel the fibrous part of the stem. Then cut it into 2 inch pieces and keep it aside (refer picture below).
Instant sambar podi
Heat 1/2 tsp of oil and fry coriander seeds and red chillies on medium heat. Leave it to cool. Then powder it finely. This is the instant sambar podi, we are going to use for this keerai thandu sambar.
Method
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it sputters, add fenugreek seeds, hing, red chilli and curry leaves.
Add pearl onions and saute until it turns transparent.
Then add chopped tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes.
Add keerai thandu, 1/4 cup of water and cook on medium heat.
Then add salt needed, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and the instant sambar podi.
Mix well and add tamarind extract. Cook until the raw flavor of the tamarind goes. It may take 10 minutes on medium heat.
Once the raw flavor of the tamarind goes, add cooked dal, 1/2 cup of water and cook on low heat stirring occasionally for 10 minutes or until the sambar thickens slightly.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice. Nutritious, delicious and fiber rich keerai thandu sambar is ready.
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| Keerai thandu sambar-Vazhaithandu curry-Curd-Rice |
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Dear padhu, please also write Hindi or marathi translation of "Keerai Thandu". I am still unable to guess the vegetable even after viewing. Looks like drum sticks, but I know, its not. Is it "Patra" or "Alu" what we call in Marathi ? Your recipes are always great. Thanks and have a great day.
It is called chaulaee/cholai in Hindi. It is the stem of amaranth.
Kiran – It is very common in India. If you cannot get it, try using tender spinach stems.
Thanks Padhu, now I know, its "Chawli" in Marathi.
Have a good evening.
Very healthy and innovatove sambar
Dear padhu, pls post some recipes with corn
Hai padhu Akka your cooking is super iam rathy my pasnion-cooking neyyappam&kalavanadai
Hi padhu
Thanks for the recipe…
Can I use the stems of palak? Will it taste good? Kindly suggest..
Regards
Palak stems will not taste that good but you can try.