Vengaya Sambar

Ingredients:

• Shallots: (Also known as Madras onion, Sambar onion) - about 1 cup, peeled, preferably uncut
• Fry the following in oil till light brown (Tip, for non vengaya sambars, add asafoetida and some curry leaves)
• Dhaniya: 2 tbs
• Chana Dal: 2.5 tbs
• Methi seeds .5 tbs
• Red Chilli
• Cocount - grated - 6 tbs. Dry roast. Grind with above ingredients post roasting. 
• Boiled Toor Dal
• Salt, Turmeric, Tamarind

Peeled onion to be boiled in tamarind water plus salt and turmeric. Tamarind water to be made with tamarind equal to a lemon (small) size ball of tamarind and mashed in warm water (about 300 ml) and add a half cup or so of more water. Or use readymade tamarind paste. Boil till smell of raw tamarind goes away and onion is fully boiled. (How to know it is done - post boiling volume reduces to about 1/3rd of original).

Add ground material and boiled toor dal.

Add fried mustard seeds in the end.

Tip: some people add a wee bit of jaggery to sweeten the sambar. The above portions are for serving 4 people or so.