Pumpkin Sambar Recipe – Poosanikai Sambar–Parangikai Sambar

• Toor dal – 1/3 cup
• Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
• Cooking oil – few drops
• Water – 2 cups
• Poosanikai/Pumpkin pieces – 12 cubes

To temper & saute

• Cooking oil – 1 tbsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds/Vendhayam – 1/4 tsp
• Urad dal – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli – 1no ( pinched)
• Curry leaves – few
• Hing/Asafetida – 1/8 tsp
• Big onion or small onion – 1 no / 10 nos
• Green chilli – 2 nos (slitted)
• Sambar powder – 2 tsp
• Dhania powder – 1 tsp
• Red chilli – 1 no
• Ghee – 2 tsp ( to add at the end)
• Coriander leaves – few ( to garnish)

• Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for 15 minutes.Wash and soak toor dal adding 2 cups of water, turmeric powder and cooking oil. Wash and peel the skin of pumpkin and cut into big sized cubes as shown in the pic below. You can also chop it with skin because skin becomes soft after pressure cooking. Take the pieces in a small bowl that fits in the cooker and keep it inside the cooker without adding water. Let the dal pressure cook for one or two whistles in very low flame. Open the cooker after the steam is released and remove the pumpkin bowl. Mash the dal well with a ladle.

• Chop the onions, slit green chillies and keep it ready. In a kadai, heat oil and temper mustard seeds, methi seeds.Once they start to splutter, add the urad dal, cumin seeds, pinched red chilli and curry leaves. Add sliced onion, slitted green chillies and saute until onion turns transparent.

• Now add 1 cup of tamarind extract, sambar powder, dhania powder, turmeric powder, salt and cooked pumpkin pieces. Add raw hing and few torn curry leaves while the sambar boils. Let it boil for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup of more water in the middle if needed.

• Now add the cooked & mashed toor dal. Mix well and let the sambar boil for another 3-4 minutes or till the desired thickness is reached. Switch off the flame and transfer the sambar to a bowl.Garnish it with coriander leaves and add 2 tsp of ghee.Cover it with a plate and serve after 30 minutes standing time. Mix with hot rice and enjoy with any poriyal and appalam !

Enjoy !

• The spiciness level would be normal for this sambar. If you want more spicy sambar, add more green chillies or some red chilli powder along with dhania powder.
• You can use red pumpkin or white pumpkin too. But chop them into big pieces so that it doesn’t become mushy while pressure cooking. Never cook pumpkin pieces along with dal. Keep them in a separate box inside cooker but do not add water. This helps to cook the pumpkin soft and it retains its shape too.