Potato Sambhar

Serves 4 

½ cup toor dal

2 whole dried red chilli peppers

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder

2 cups unpeeled chopped potatoes

½ cup chopped tomato

1 green chilli pepper, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sambhar powder

½ teaspoon asafoetida powder

3 to 4 curry leaves (optional), or ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander

2 tablespoons corn oil

1 red chilli pepper

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 ½ teaspoons urad dal

 Place toor dal, I red pepper, turmeric powder, and 3 cups of water in a medium-size stainless steel mixing bowl that will fit into the pressure cooker. 

Add potatoes, tomato, and green chilli to the bowl.  Add salt, sambhar powder, and ¼ teaspoon asafoetida powder with several curry leaves or chopped coriander, if desired, to the mixing bowl.

Place 1 or 2 cups of water in bottom of pressure cooker according to manufacturer’s direction and size of pressure cooker.  Place the bowl containing all the above ingredients in the pressure cooker. 

Cook in pressure cooker of 10 to 15 minutes.  Add sambhar powder, tomato sauce, tamarind paste, salt.  Stir in the saucepan.  Add I cup of water to the mixture. 

Add coriander.  Cook, covered, over low heat, stirring often until squash becomes tender.