Chicken Sambhar Recipes

SAMBHAR MASALA

Steps:

• Combine leaves, chiles, peas and spices in a bowl and drizzle with sesame oil, tossing to coat evenly.
• Heat medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add coated spices and toast, stirring constantly, 2 to 4 minutes, until the leaves appear dry and brittle, the chiles begin to blacken slightly, the split peas turn dark brown and the mustard seeds begin to pop. Watch carefully, so the mixture does not burn. Remove to a plate to cool.
• When spices are cool to the touch, pour half into a spice grinder. (A clean coffee grinder will do.) Grind until spices are the texture of finely ground pepper. Transfer mixture to a bowl and repeat with remaining spices. The mixture will keep at room temperature for up to 2 months in a tightly sealed container.

SAMBAR

Steps:

• Place yellow split peas in a saucepan with 2 cups water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until soft, about 15 minutes. In another saucepan, mix together the tamarind pulp stir in 1/2 cup water to make a watery juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the bell pepper and tomato to the tamarind juice, and continue to boil until the vegetables are soft, and the liquid has reduced to almost half.
• Meanwhile, grind the coriander seeds, yellow lentils, coconut and chilies to a paste using a mortar and pestle or food processor. Add this paste to the tamarind sauce, then stir in the yellow lentils until everything is well blended. Bring to a boil once again, then remove from the heat and set aside.
• Heat oil in a small skillet over medium heat, and add the mustard seed, cumin seed, and asafoetida powder. Once the mustard seeds start to sputter and the mixture is fragrant, remove from heat and stir into sambar. Serve hot.

SAMBAR - SPICY INDIAN CURRY

Steps:

• Place 2 cups water, cabbage, carrot, green beans, bell pepper, and yellow split peas in a pressure cooker; lock lid. Bring cooker up to pressure and cook until peas are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. If your pressure cooker does not have a quick-release function, reduce cooking times slightly as food will continue to cook while pressure releases slowly. Drain and reserve excess liquid; set vegetables aside.
• Mix ground coriander, sambar powder, chili powder, and 1/2 teaspoon water in a bowl to create a paste.
• Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook and stir cumin seeds and mustard seeds until seeds sputter, about 1 minute; add asafoetida powder. Stir in the sambar paste; cook and stir until thickened, about 1 minute. Season with turmeric, and stir in vegetables. If vegetable mixture is too thick, stir in reserved cooking liquid.
• Mix cilantro, coconut, tamarind pulp, brown sugar, and salt into vegetable mixture. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes more.

CHICKEN SAMBHAR

Steps:

• Cook the split yellow pigeon peas(yellow lentils) in a pressure cooker.
• Roast the coriander seeds, the split chickpeas and chillies until the chickpeas start turning brown. Ensure not to over-roast as it will result in a burnt taste.
• Ground the above roasted ingredients into a fine powder. This is fresh Sambhar powder.
• Add water into a wok and add the potatoes, salt and turmeric and set it on medium fire. When potatoes start turning soft, add the onions and the chicken.
• Once the water starts boiling again, add the tamarind concentrate and cook for 10mts. on medium fire.
• Add the Sambhar powder, brown sugar and salt and let it simmer for 15-20mts.
• Add some water to replace the water absorbed by the Sambhar powder. Do not add too much water as it will make the dish very runny. (The consistency should be same as that of a pasta sauce.).
• Add the brown sugar.
• Fry the mustard in oil and when it starts spluttering, add it to the wok.
• Serve with boiled rice, roti or naan (Indian breads).
• Papadam/Papad (roasted or fried) will be a good accompaniment.
• Bless the chef.