Pumpkin Sambar with Moong Dal
Pumpkin sambar is a hearty spicy and sweet lentil stew that gets its depth from the moong dal, heat from warm spices, and sweetness from simmered cubes of pumpkin.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups moong dal (cooked)
- 1 lb pumpkin cubed into 1" pieces
- 2 (120 g) shallots 120g, finely chopped
- 2 (225 g) roma tomatoes 225g, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2-4 Thai green chilies finely chopped
- 2-3 sprigs cilantro chopped
- ½ cup tamarind water made from 10g tamarind pulp or substitute with 1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5-7 curry leaves
- 1.5 teaspoons sea salt plus more to taste
- 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade sambar powder
- 3.5 cups water
- cooked rice, Roti, or Dosa to eat with Sambar (Optional)
Instructions
Prep Ingredients
- Make 2 cups moong dal (cooked) using the link to help make dal.
- Cube 1 lb pumpkin into 1 inch cubes. Here are more details on how to cut a pumpkin
- Finely chop 2 shallots
- Finely chop 2 roma tomatoes
- Finely chop 4 garlic cloves
- Finely chop 2-4 Thai green chilies
- Finely chop 2-3 sprigs cilantro
- Make ½ cup tamarind water made from 10g tamarind pulp. You can checkout this blog post for instructions.
Main Recipe
- Use a deep and wide pot with a lid and set heat to medium-low. Add 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, and 5-7 curry leaves to the oil until they start to sizzle and dance in the oil. This process, known as tempering the spices, imparts the flavors of the spices into the oil. Be careful not to burn your spices in this step or your final product will be bitter.
- Add 2-4 Thai green chilies (chopped), 4 garlic cloves (chopped), 2 shallots (chopped), and half of the 1.5 teaspoons sea salt Cook until shallots and garlic start to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
- Next, turn heat to medium-high and add chopped tomatoes, cubed pumpkin, 2 tablespoons store-bought or homemade sambar powder, and the remaining half of the 1.5 teaspoons sea salt. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, until the tomato slightly softens. The pumpkin won’t soften much besides the exterior initially.
- Add tamarind water, 3.5 cups water, and 2 cups moong dal (cooked) to the pot. Cover with a lid, and bring to a boil.
- Once the sambar comes to a boil, reduce heat to medium and allow the sambar to simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the pumpkin is tender.
- Taste, adjust for salt, and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve sambar with basmati rice or dunk dosas/vadas/idlis into the sambar. Note: If you want the sambar to be more sour, you can add more tamarind. If it needs more spice, you can adjust with more sambar powder. If the sambar is too spicy, add more dal or temper the heat with some melted ghee or butter.
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Notes and Tips
- Helpful Readings: How To Cook Any Dal, Simple Stovetop Moong Dal, What is Moong Dal? How to Make Tamarind Water/Substitutes, Homemade Sambar Powder
- You can optionally toast pumpkin seeds from the inside of the pumpkin until golden brown. Sprinkle the crispy seeds with salt and sambar powder and top the sambar with the seeds for an extra crunch.
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