Appalam sambar recipe| Appala kuzhambu

Appalam Sambar | Appalam kuzhambu is a traditional recipe, made with appalam, eggplants, tamarind and toor dal as main ingredients. I have posted Appalam Vatha kuzhambu during my initial days of blogging. Last year when my friend's mom was here, she was telling about this appalam sambar, actually they call it as appalam kuzhambu only. I recorded the recipe as she was narrating to me. But when i changed my phone that got deleted by mistake. Later i totally forgot about that. Few weeks back, when she visited us again, i asked her for the recipe and noted down again. I tried it the next day itself and clicked the same. It tasted similar to the karuvadam sambar that amma makes. You can skip adding the brinjals and make it only as appalam sambar. When you run out of veggies this can be made and can be accompanied with any sundal too.

Appalam sambar recipe

  Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 25 Mins |Serves: 3-4

    Brinjal | eggplant  3 (small)
    Sambar podi  2 and 1/2 tsp
    Turmeric powder  1/4 tsp
    Ulundu appalam| Urad dal papad  3
    Tamarind   gooseberry sized
    Toor dal   1/4 cup
    Coconut  2 tblsp
    Asafoetida  2 pinches
    Oil  1 tblsp
    Mustard seeds  1/4 tsp
    Curry leaves  few
    Salt as needed 
Method:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes.
• Pressure cook the toor dal with enough water and a pinch of turmeric and keep aside.
• Cut the brinjals lengthwise, just cut them into 4 parts.
• Take extract from the tamarind using 1 and 1/2 cup water.
• In a pan add 1 tsp of oil and saute the cut brinjals for a minute. 
• Add the tamarind water, salt, sambar powder,turmeric powder and asafoetida.
• Let this boil till the brinjals gets cooked and the raw smell of the tamarind and the sambar powder goes off.
• Mash the cooked toor dal well.
• Add the cooked dal to the pan. 
• Mix well and boil for 2 more minutes.
• Ensure that the consistency is slightly thinner than the usual sambar.
• As we add papads to the sambar, it will tend to thicken.
• Switch off the flame.
• In a small pan, add oil. Tear the papad into small pieces and add it to the oil in batches.
• Saute this till it gets roasted. If you want to use less oil, just microwave the papads and break them into pieces.
• Keep it aside.
• Add the coconut and roast it till it becomes golden brown colour.
• Add this to the sambar.
• Temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil and add it to the sambar.
• Now add the roasted papads to the gravy.
• Mix well and serve the aappalam sambar with any curry of your choice.

Notes:

1. Always use urad dal papads for making appalam sambar.
2. The papad contains salt, so add little less in the sambar, you can always add more if you want it later.
3. I used 3 small sized appalam. If you add more papads it will make the gravy too thick and also the smell of the papad will dominate more.
4. Instead of brinjals you can add ladies finger to the appalam sambar | Appalam kuzhambu.

Method with step wise preparation:

• Soak the tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes.
• Pressure cook the toor dal with enough water and a pinch of turmeric and keep aside.
• Cut the brinjals lengthwise, just cut them into 4 parts.
• Take extract from the tamarind using 1 and 1/2 cup water.
• In a pan add 1 tsp of oil and saute the cut brinjals for a minute. 
• Add the tamarind water, salt, sambar powder,turmeric powder and asafoetida.

• Let this boil till the brinjals gets cooked and the raw smell of the tamarind and the sambar powder goes off.
• Mash the cooked toor dal well.
• Add the cooked dal to the pan. 
• Mix well and boil for 2 more minutes.

• Ensure that the consistency is slightly thinner than the usual sambar.
• As we add papads to the sambar, it will tend to thicken.
• Switch off the flame.
• In a small pan, add oil. Tear the papad into small pieces and add it to the oil in batches.

• Saute this till it gets roasted. If you want to use less oil, just microwave the papads and break them into pieces.
• Keep it aside.
• Add the coconut and roast it till it becomes golden brown colour.

• Add this to the sambar.
• Temper the mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil and add it to the sambar.

• Now add the roasted papads to the gravy.
• Mix well and serve the aappalam sambar with any curry of your choice.

Notes:

1. Always use urad dal papads for making appalam sambar.
2. The papad contains salt, so add little less in the sambar, you can always add more if you want it later.
3. I used 3 small sized appalam. If you add more papads it will make the gravy too thick and also the smell of the papad will dominate more.
4. Instead of brinjals you can add ladies finger to the appalam sambar | Appalam kuzhambu.