Brinjal & Chayote Squash Sambar

Brinjal / Egg plant /badane kai / Kattari kai is loved by most of the people in South India .
Here I have used Chayote Squash and Brinjal ( special brinjal from Udupi ) and prepared Sambar.

Brinjal and Chayote Squash / Seeme badane Sambar /Curry goes well with all the main dishes.
Let us see the recipe Now :
Home prepared Sambar Powder is used here and it is very easy to prepare Sambar Powder at home.
No Onion or No Garlic is used in this Sambar. /Curry.

Ingredients :

Brinjal : 2 ( Medium sized )
Chayote Squash : 1 ( Big Sized )
Toor dal : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Sambar Powder : 2 Tablespoons
Tamarind Pulp : 2 Tablespoons
Jaggery : 1 Tablespoon ( Optional )
Methi seeds /Fenugrik seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Green Chilly : 1
Salt : As required
Seasoning :
Mustard seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves : 5 to 6
Cooking Oil : 1 Teaspoon.
Ingh /Asafoetida : A pinch.

Method :

1. Wash and cut brinjal in to small pieces. Soak in a big bowl of water. ( It helps to remove the bitterness in brinjal)
2. Wash and remove the outer layer of chayote squash and cut the squash into small pieces.

3. Cook chayote squash separately till soft and keep it aside. Wash and cook toor dal with little water. (Pressure cook for 5 minutes).

4. Soak a marble size tamarind in warm water for 5 minutes and squeeze out the pulp. Keep the pulp aside.
5. Now cook cut brinjal with little water till they turn bit soft. Add tamarind and salt. Add little turmeric powder. Add cooked dal and mix it well. Let it cook for a minute.

6. Add cooked chayote squash to brinjal and cook for 2 minutes. Add jaggery and mix it well.

7. Add methi seeds and mix it well. Wash and slit green chilly and add it.

8. Add 2 Tablespoons of sambar powder and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 to 3 minutes.

9. Shift the curry to a serving dish and add mustard seasoning on the top.
10. Brinjal - Chayote Squash Sambar is ready to serve.

Note :

Cooking chayote squash separately helps the pieces to cook soft and it does not get smashed. Adding jaggery is optional. Adding onions or garlic to the curry is optional. Taste differ. Adding moong dal instead of toor dal is optional. Toor dal taste better for sambar. Let the jaggery be very little if you are diabetic or cooking for diabetic patient.
 Time : 30 Minutes.
Serves : 3 to 4 

Home prepared Sambar powder :

Dry roast or fry with a tsp of oil.
Coriander seeds : 3 Tablespoons
Methi seeds : 1/4 Teaspoon
Urid dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Channa dal : 1/2 Teaspoon
Red byadagi chilly : 5 to 6
Jeera /Cumin seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon
Curry leaves : 6 to 8
Ingh /Asafoetida :  A little

Dry roast or fry methi seeds till it turns golden brown. Add urid dal and channa dal and fry nicely.
Add coriander seeds and red chilly and fry till they turn slightly golden colour. ( Or crisp).
Add jeera, curry leaves and jeera. Mix it well and put off the fire.
Let it turn cool. Dry grind and use the powder.
The above said measurement for Sambar is only one time. Do not use oil if you prepare more sambar powder at a time. The oil smells bad and the powder smells stale.