Sambar (Vegetable Stew)

My maternal grandmother Mummi made many vegan dishes when my mom was young, including sambar - a thick, fiber-rich, stew that is best served with a ladle. Upon reaching her mid-30s, she gave up meat all together, but continued to cook mutton cutlets, chicken stew, and other meat dishes that most of Kerala’s Syrian Christians crave to stave off an in-home riot. 

Mummi’s journal contains many tips on good nutrition (including the importance of avoiding a high protein diet after the age of 40). So I assumed that she changed her eating habits for health reasons. But according to my mom, my grandmother cut out meat with the hopes of securing a prosperous future for her children. That came as no surprise. My mom is constantly negotiating with a higher power.  

Mummi’s love of meat-free dishes was also handed down to my mom. As a child, I loved to watch her douse lentils with water and slice up vegetables for sambar and other vegetarian dishes that Mummi once spooned on her plate. 

SAMBAR

Serves 4 to 6

Sambar is a versatile vegan dish. I like to include  tomatoes, green beans, and potatoes, but you can swap in other veggies, including those buried in your crisper. It’s traditionally served with idlis (sourdough buns), dosas (sourdough crepes),  urad vada (donut shaped fritters), or, more simply, a plate of piping hot parboiled rice.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup toor dhal (pigeon peas)
5 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup roughly chopped onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup roughly chopped potatoes
1/2 cup chopped green beans
1 tablespoon sambar powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon tamarind concentrate
1 1/2 teaspoons canola or olive oil
1/8 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
10 curry leaves
1 dried red chili (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the dhal in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover it with water and stir to remove excess starch. Drain and repeat until the water becomes clear. Slowly drain the water. 

Add 3 1/2 cups of water to the rinsed dhal.

Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium low, and cook until the dhal can be easily mashed with the back of a spoon (about an hour and a half). Most of the water will have evaporated.  

Add 2 cups of water, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, and beans to the cooked dhal. Stir. 

Stir in the sambar powder and salt. Cook until the vegetables  just start to soften, about 15 minutes.

Place the tamarind concentrate in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of liquid from the cooked dhal to the tamarind and stir to dilute it. 

Pour the diluted tamarind back into the dhal mixture. Cook until the vegetable become knife tender, about 10 minutes.

Place the oil in a small skillet over medium low heat. Add the brown mustard seeds. When they begin to pop, add the curry leaves and dried red chili. Cook for 1 minute. 

Stir the flavored oil into the dhal mixture. 

Lentil Wafers

LENTIL WAFERS

Serves 6

Crisp as a potato chip, lentil wafers (pappadam) bring texture the table. In Kerala, they share the stage with simple dhal dishes, regal biriyani, and everything in  between. Most home cooks buy the uncooked wafers and fry them at home. Being very thin, they cook quickly. Give them your undivided attention to ensure that they don’t burn. 

INGREDIENTS

12 lentil wafers (pappadam)
2 cups canola oil

INSTRUCTIONS

Cover a large plate or colander with paper towels. 

Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. 

Add a tiny piece of an uncooked lentil wafer to the oil. When it rises to the top and bubbles around the edges, slip a whole wafer into the oil. The wafer will expand one and a half times almost immediately. 

Flip the wafer with tongs or a fork and cook the other side for a few seconds. Continue to flip until both sides are golden brown. 

Remove from the oil. Hold over the skillet for a few seconds to allow excess oil to drip off. 

Place on paper towels to cool. Repeat with the rest of the wafers. 

Dhal Fritters

Dodging bicyclists, mopeds, and pedestrians, Kerala’s rickshaws and taxis offer a nonstop thrill ride. If you prefer the slow and steady but still adventurous, I suggest taking the train. The windows have bars, but no glass, and each train car has turbo charged fans welded to the ceiling. You can watch the lush countryside streaming by, and feel a whoosh of jungle air before it gets chopped up by steel blades.



When your stomach starts to grumble, you’ll hear the sound of auctioneers stalking the aisles. "Chai, chai, chaiii!" (“Tea, tea, tea!”) "Kappi, kappi, kappiii!” (“Coffee, coffe, coffee!) “Vada, vada, vadaiii!” (“Fritters, fritters, fritters!) Or could they be food peddlers? 



Of all the sights and sounds that Kerala produces, the parade of noisy railway venders is by far my favorite. In the old days, the vendors waited on the platform at each station. When a train stopped, they would start their pulsing chorus. Riders shoved rupees through the windows in exchange for cups of frothy coffee or tea served in steel cups and a variety of fried snacks. If you leaned close enough to the window, you could watch the beverage vendors pouring the tea between two cups held two feet apart to produce froth. Don't try that at home! Before the train pulled away, the cups were passed back to be washed and filled for the next wave of riders.



Now the vendors board the train, dressed in neatly pressed uniforms. American snack foods – which have helped to make much of the world obese – are part of their offerings. Thankfully the oldies still endure: “"Chai, chai, chaiii!" "Kappi, kappi, kappiii!” “Vada, vada, vadaiii!” 



CHANNA DHAL FRITTERS

Makes 18 to 20

Crunchy on the outside and cushiony inside, parippu vada is my favorite fried snack. They are made with channa dhal, ginger, and chilies. Think of them as a spiced up falafel served aside freshly plucked bananas, if you're lucky. 
 

INGREDIENTS

1½ cups skinned and split channa dhal (Bengal gram)
1/4 cup water

2 small dried red chilies, roughly chopped

3/4 cup finely diced onions

2 tablespoons minced ginger

1 teaspoon salt

Two dashes of asafetida (optional)

10 to 15 fresh curry leaves, torn into 1/4 inch pieces

2½ cups canola oil for frying

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the dhal in a medium size bowl. Cover it with water and soak for at least 4 hours. (The dhal will expand as it softens). Rinse and drain.

Place half of the soaked dhal and water in a food processor. Pulse it for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides. 

Add the dried red chilies and pulse until the dhal is very finely chopped and almost forms a paste.

Add the rest of the soaked dhal to the food processor and pulse until it is very roughly chopped, 5 to 10 seconds. The dhal should clump when you squeeze it in your palm.   

Transfer the dhal to a medium size bowl. Add the onions, ginger, salt, asafetida, and curry leaves, and mix together. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Place a couple of paper towels on a large plate. Heat the oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add a pinch of the seasoned dhal to the oil. When it rises to the top and bubbles around the edges, lower the heat to medium.

Place a tablespoon of the dhal on the palm of your hand and shape it into a loose ball. Gently flatten it into a disk about 1/2-inch thick. Carefully sculpt together the edges with the side of your free hand.  

Place it into the oil. For 4 more disks and add them to the oil one by one.

Fry them for 4 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Remove from the oil with a slotted spoon and cool on the paper towels.  Repeat with the rest of the seasoned dhal.

Serve warm or reheated in a toaster oven.

A Family Favorite

RED LENTILS WITH COCONUT

(2009 Cardamom Kitchen LLC All Rights Reserved)

Serves 6 to 8

INGREDIENTS

1 cup masoor dhal (red lentils)

1/2 cup diced onion

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

3 1/2 cups water

1 1/4 teaspoon salt

Pinch cayenne

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

10 fresh curry leaves

3/4 teaspoon canola oil

1/8 teaspoon black mustard seeds

3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut

1 dry red pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the dhal in a medium sized sauce pan. Cover it with water and stir to remove excess starch. The water will turn cloudy. Drain. Repeat until the water becomes clear. Drain.

Add the water to the rinsed lentils.

Reserve 1/4 cup of onions for later use. Add the other 1/4 cup to the dhal.

Add the garlic, salt, cayenne, cumin, turmeric powder, and curry leaves. Stir and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 15 minutes. (The dhal will soften and expand as it cooks.) Remove from heat.

Place the oil in a small saute pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and cover. When the mustard seeds start to pop, add 1/4 cup onions and stir. Cook uncovered until the onions begin to brown.

Add the coconut and red pepper. Cook until the coconut becomes lightly toasted.

Add the coconut mixture to the dhal and stir to blend completely. Serve with rice.