Munagakaya or Drumstick Sambar Recipe is one of the common sambar recipes where toor dal is cooked along with onions, tomatoes, drumstick, special spicy sambar powder, and tamarind juice.
We can make many variations of sambar using different types of vegetables like brinjal sambar, radish sambar, mixed vegetable sambar, pumpkin sambar, bendakaya sambar.
Some people like to add a little bit of Jaggery or Sugar to Sambar. In our family, we like to have Spicy Sambar with hot rice, So here I have not included it in my instructions. But if you like a little bit of sweetness, try adding a half tablespoon of sugar or a small piece of Jaggery.
How to prepare Sambar:
1. Wash 1 1/2 cup of toor dal and add them to a pressure cooker. Now add 3 cups of water and cook them for 2-3 whistles.
2. Meanwhile, soak a big lime sized tamarind in a cup of water.
3. When soaked, squeeze the tamarind to make juice and take off the remaining pulp.
3. Mash the dal with a laddle until smooth.
4. Add the tamarind juice to the dal, mix well without any lumps and keep aside.
How to prepare Sambar:
1. Add oil to the vessel, when heated add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, hing, crushed garlic cloves, curry leaves, and red chilies.
2. Add roughly onions, slit green chilies and sautee it for 2 minutes.
3. Now add cubed tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are mushy.
4. Add the drumstick which are cut into 3 inch pieces, turmeric and salt. Cook until the drumstick is cooked soft and tender.
5. When the drumstick is cooked, add the dal mixture, chilli powder and cook for 5-8 minutes. Adjust the consistency by adding 1 or 2 cups water.
6. Add 2 spoons of sambar powder and cook for 5 more minutes. Check the taste, adjust salt and spice as per your taste.
7. Serve sambar hot with white rice or idly or dosa.
Munagakaya or Drumstick Sambar
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup Toor dal
- 1 Onion (Cubed)
- 1 cup Tamarind Juice
- 1 Tomato (Cubed)
- 1 or 2 Drumsticks or Munagakaya
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp Chili Powder
- 2 tbsp Sambar Powder
- 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tbsp Cumin Seeds
- 1/4 tsp Methi Seeds
- 1 pinch Hing
- 2 or 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 sprig Curry Leaves
- 1 tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Oil
Instructions
- Add toor dal to a pressure cooker, wash it thoroughly and cook the dal for 2-3 whistles adding 3 cups of water.
- Meanwhile, soak a big lime size tamarind. When soaked, squeeze the juice and filter the pulp.
- Mash the dal to smooth texture with a laddle. When the dal is perfectly cooked, you will get a nice smooth dal when mashed.
- Add the tamarind juice to the dal and mix well without any lumps and keep aside.
- Take a vessel, add oil. When heated, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, hing, dried red chilies, crushed garlic cloves, and curry leaves.
- When the tempering is nicely fried, add onions, green chilies, and saute them until they are translucent.
- Add tomatoes and cook for a minute.
- Now add the drumstick pieces, turmeric, and salt. Cook until the drumsticks are cooked perfectly. When you hold the drumstick and press gently, it should be smooth and tender.
- Add the dal mixture prepared earlier, chili powder, mix well. If the mixture is thick add 1 or 2 cups of water to get the consistency. Boil for 5-8 mins.
- Now add 2 tablespoons of sambar powder.
- Boil the sambar on a medium flame for 3-4 more minutes. Check the taste and adjust salt or chili powder as per your taste.
- Serve sambar hot with rice.
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