Beetroot Sambhar

Everyone may have umpteen number of favorite vegetables to pair with sambhar, but probably not beets. Beets and sambhar - the combination is somewhat out of the norm. A red sambhar? That's what I thought when I first encountered it. Though very unusual, my MIL prepares beetroot sambhar, which I must admit is delectable. Beetroot generously lends it's color to the dish and hence we end up with a red -maroonish hued sambhar. Serve this beet sambhar with rice and a dash of ghee, for an irresistable dish.

Ingredients:
Toor dal - 1 cup
Beetroot, peeled and chopped into cubes - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsp
Sambhar powder - 1 tsp, heaped
Jaggery powdered - 1 Tbsp (optional)
Tamarind juice - 1/4 cup (tamarind soaked in water and juice extracted)
Salt

For tadka:

Oil - 1 or 2 tsp

Mustard and cumin seeds - 1 tsp each

A few pinches of asafoetida and a few curry leaves

Cooking:

Cook dal, beetroot and turmeric powder with sufficient water in a pressure cooker till you hear two or three whistles. (Alternatively, you can cook them in a sauce pan until the dal reaches fall apart stage). Turn off the stove and wait till all the valve pressure is gone. Then remove the lid and add tamarind, chili and sambhar powders, salt and jaggery. Add needed (around 2 cups) water for the dal to reach sambhar consistency and adjust the spices, if required. Turn on the stove and then let the sambhar come to a rolling boil and leave it for a couple of minutes more. Turn off the stove.

Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves to it. When mustard seeds start to pop, turn off the stove and add this tadka mixture to the sambhar and mix well.

Serve hot with rice and a tsp of ghee or rotis.

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