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South Indian Sambar
PAIR WITH
Indian Steamed Rice Cakes
(PAGE 159)
Called
sambar
in southern India, this vegan lentil and vegetable stew is often served as a breakfast dish with spongy steamed breads, called
idli. Sambar
is traditionally made with split yellow peas, but I substitute red lentils because they cook in half the time and taste equally lovely. The pleasantly sweet-sour note of this soup comes from packaged tamarind purée or paste (look for
nuoc me chua
or Vietnamese “sour soup base mix” in Asian markets). If you have thick, molasses-like Indian tamarind concentrate on hand, reduce the amount to 1 tsp and dilute it in 1 Tbsp of warm water. I use slender Japanese eggplant, carrot, and green beans in this soup, but the recipe is very adaptable. Go shopping in your vegetable keeper and use what you have on hand—cauliflower, cabbage, red bell pepper, parsnips, and zucchini are all good additions
.
SERVES
6
ACTIVE TIME
15
MINUTES
TOTAL TIME
40
MINUTES
1 cup [210 g] red lentils, picked over and rinsed
1
1
/
2
tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground coriander
Sea salt
1 Japanese eggplant, cut into
1
/
2
-in [12-mm] chunks
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped
4 oz [115 g] green beans, trimmed and cut into bite-size pieces
1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
1 serrano chile, chopped
2 Tbsp safflower or coconut oil
1
1
/
2
tsp brown mustard seeds
10 curry leaves (optional)
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 medium plum tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp tamarind purée or paste (see headnote)
Freshly ground black pepper
1.
Combine the lentils, curry powder, coriander, 1
1
/
2
tsp salt, and 5
1
/
2
cups [1.3 L] hot water in a large soup pot or Dutch oven.
Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently to make sure the lentils don’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add the eggplant, carrot, green beans, shallot, and serrano chile and reduce the heat to low.
Cover and simmer until the vegetables and lentils are very tender, about 20 minutes.
2.
Heat the safflower oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat.
Add the mustard seeds and curry leaves (if using) and cook until the seeds begin to pop, about 20 seconds.
Add the ginger and garlic and sauté until fragrant but not browned, about 45 seconds.
Scrape the seasonings into the pot (careful, the oil will sputter).
Add the tomato and tamarind to the pot, stir, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper.
3.
Ladle the soup into bowls and serve immediately.
GET AHEAD:
This soup tastes even better the second or third day (though it does get spicier and thicker as it rests). When reheating, add additional water to restore the original soupy consistency and season with salt. You can also freeze the cooled soup in airtight containers or zip-top plastic freezer bags for up to 3 months.