Beetroot Sambar is typically a staple, delicious South Indian dish and goes beautifully with cooked rice and rotis too due to its gravy consistency.

 

Dish type: South Indian Vegetable Stew

Preparation time: 20mts

Cooking time: 15mts

Serves: 4 persons

 

Ingredients

Beetroot                      1/2 kg (or 4 nos. of medium size)

Ginger                         1/2” piece

Green chillies              3 nos. medium size

Curry leaves                1 sprig

Coriander leaves         1 cup

Medium rava              15 gms.

Raw coconut               1 cup

Tamarind paste           1 tsp

Salt to taste                 1 tsp approx.

Water                          250 ml

For Seasoning

Cooking oil                  1 tsp (preferably coconut or olive oil)

Red chillies                  2 nos.

Mustard seeds            1/2 tsp

Black gram dhal          1 tsp

Asafoetida                   A pinch

Directions

Wash beetroot thoroughly. Peel the skin and grate them.

Wash ginger, peel the skin and grate it.

Soak tamarind in water for about 10 min. Extract the juice to separate it from the fibre and seeds and keep it aside. (This is in case you don’t have tamarind paste ready)

Grate raw coconut. Grind it along with rava (semolina)and transfer it to a small bowl.

(After transferring, add 100 ml. of water to the mixie jar and run it for a few seconds. Pour this water to the same small bowl. By doing this even the remaining contents sticking on to the sides of the jar can be used. No wastage and jar also gets cleaned in the process. Smart cooking!)

Boil the grated beetroot along with 150 ml. water, salt, tamarind paste, grated ginger and slit green chillies for about 10 minutes. Keep stirring gently at intervals.

When cooked, add the ground coconut rava mix.

Let it boil for a few more minutes.

While it is boiling prepare the seasoning.

Heat oil in a small skillet on another burner on low flame. Add black gram dhal followed by mustard seeds. When it crackles, add red chillies, curry leaves.Saute for few seconds and turn off the heat.

Immediately add asafoetida powder and pour this seasoning on to the simmering beetroot sambar. Turn off the flame.

Garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Transfer it to a serving bowl.

Beetroot sambar is now ready to be served.

Also view in this blog “Beetroot Chutney“, “Brinjal Sambar“, “Gherkins Sambar“, “Onion Tomato Sambar“, “Ridge Gourd Huli Thovve” and “Khara Kootu“