Ingredients:

• Tamarind Water (2 cups; check notes)
• Potato (2 medium sized; diced)
• Onion (1-2 medium sized; diced)
• Drumsticks (2; sliced to 2 inch thinkness; check notes)
• Tomato (2-3 medium sized; diced)
• Carrot (1; diced)
• Beans (6; cut into 1 inch pieces)
• Ivy Gourd (aka. Tendli; 6-7 cut into halves; optional)
• Eggplant (1-2 small; diced; optional)
• Golden Cucumber (Kanivellari; 1 small peeled and diced; optional)
• Toor Dal (1 cup)
• Green Chilies (4; slit into halves)
• Curry Leaves (1 spring)
• Mustard Seeds (1 tablespoon)
• Dried Red Chilies (2-3)
• Sambar Masala (3 heaping tablespoons)
• Hing (a pinch)
• Turmeric Powder (2 teaspoons)
• Jaggery (1 tablespoon)
• Salt (to taste)

Notes:
For tamarind water, add the tamarind (the size of a lemon) into a bowl and soak it in 2 cups of hot water for 10-15 minutes. Pass it through a sieve to get rid of any seeds and fibers.

If you are using frozen drumsticks, you need to soak them in warm water for 5-10 minutes.

Directions:

In a pressure cooker, add the Toor dal with 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, salt, and 4 cups of water and cook for 4-5 whistles on medium heat. Once done let it sit to depressurize.

Place a large pan on medium-high heat and add the tamarind water. To this add the jaggery, remaining turmeric powder, green chilies, and salt.

Now, add all the chopped vegetables into the water and let it cook. It can take anywhere between 15-20 minutes for all the vegetables to cook (To check try using a fork and piercing into carrots or potatoes and it should pierce through without resistance). Occasionally, give the vegetables a stir to make sure they don’t stick to the bottom of the pan. Also, if the water is reduced a lot then feel free to add more water.

Once the pressure cooker is completely depressurized, open the lid and mash the dal.

Add the mashed Toor dal into the pan and give it a stir and add water (if required) to adjust consistency and bring it to boil.

Add the sambar masala and give it a mix and turn off the heat.

In a small pan, add 2-3 tablespoons of oil and place it on medium heat. Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let it crackle, then add the curry leaves, dried red chilies, and Hing.

Add the tempering mixture to the sambar and let it sit for a couple of minutes and then give it a mix.