Spinach Dal With Sambar Powder

Good served with either plain boiled rice or Indian bread.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1⁄4 cup  toor dal, rinsed
• 1  onion, diced
• 1  tomatoes, diced
• 1  tablespoon  sambhar powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1⁄4 teaspoon tamarind paste
• 1  teaspoon salt
• 9 -10  ounces  chopped spinach
• 2  tablespoons  oil
• 1  teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1  teaspoon Urad Dal, split white
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin seed
• 4  dried red chilies, broken into pieces
• 8 -12  curry leaves
• 1⁄8-1⁄4 teaspoon hing

Directions

1. Put the toor dal is a largish saucepan with 4 cups water.
2. Bring mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes.
3. Add more water if needed.
4. Add the onion, tomato, sambar powder, turmeric and tamarind concentrate.
5. Simmer for 20 more minutes, adding a little water if needed.
6. Add the salt and spinach and cook 20 more minutes.
7. You can add more water if needed, but mixture needs to be very thick at the end for the spices to taste correct.
8. Turn off heat.
9. In a small frying pan put the oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds and dried red chili pieces.
10. Heat over high heat until the mustard seeds are popping AND the urad dal is light brown.
11. Remove from heat and quickly stir in curry leaves and hing.
12. Pour seasonings into the spinach dal.
13. Mix well.
14. Check for salt.
15. If you don't have tamarind concentrate, add a bit of lemon at the end of the cooking time.