Dal Sambhar

Ingredients:

• Moong dal 1 cup
• Whole Black pepper 2 tsp
• Whole cumin seeds 2 tsp
• Red Chillies 5 nos
• Coconut 1/2 cup
• Ghee to saute.
• Some oil to saute.
• Mustard 
• Cumin for sauting
• Onions 1 large sized
• Tomatoes 2 medium sized
• Green Chillies 3 small
• Brinjal 1/4kg
• Turmeric powder for taste.
• Garlic paste 1 tsp
• coriander powder for taste (optional)
• Salt

Method:

• Boil the moongdal in a pressure cooker with enough water so much so that its a thick syrup when beaten. While that cooks…..
• Take a pan, add ghee, let it melt and then add the pepper and cumin seeds. Follow it with red chillies. When these become sauted, add the shredded coconut. Do not over saute!. Let it cool when its done.
• While its cooling, cut the onions, tomatoes and the Brinjal. All diced. Slit the green chillies.
• Grind the sauted spices in a mixer. Add water like you add a solvent using a burette, slowly and only when needed. Grind it . Now to saute the cut vegetables.
• Add mustard to the hot cooking oil, wait for it to splatter, then the cumin seeds. Follow it up with green chillies. Add the garlic paste or the mashed garlic slices.
• Then saute the onions. Once the onions turn transparent , add the tomatoes and brinjal. Then add the coriander powder 2 tsps.
  By this time, the moong dal would have been done. Open it, beat it and transfer it to an cooking bowl.
• Add the possibly half cooked vegetables to the dal. Add the ground paste. Mix well and let it cook, until the elective vegetable is well cooked.
•  Add salt to taste. Add water if you want. Its usually much thicker than the standard Sambhar.
•  It looks a dark brown thick grainy liquid.