Pumpkin sambar recipe | Poosanikai sambar

Pumpkin/Poosanikai/Arasanikai/Manjal poosani Sambar is a nutritious and delicious treat. One of the best ways to use Halloween pumpkin.

I love my MIL’s sambar more than the restaurant sambars. For my baby shower(Valaikaapu) function, she made pongal, idli, sambar, chutney for breakfast. Guests were so impressed of her sambar and asked which hotel/mess you ordered 🙂

I made this pumpkin sambar using her recipe. Following her nuances like adding asafoetida at three different stages, adding tomato to dal, uncut small onions – all add nice flavor and takes your sambar to the next level. Her sambar powder needed a special mention. Just this single secret ingredient will do magic in your sambar, chicken, mutton, any gravy or side-dish. Click here to see her versatile Sambar powder recipe.

If you have more Halloween pumpkin left, try Pumpkin dosa(Click).

Pumpkin sambar recipe – Stepwise pics follow the below printable description:

Pumpkin sambar recipe | Poosanikai sambar

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

 

Serves: 4

Ingredients

Tamarind extract:

• Tamarind - gooseberry(nellikai) sized ball
• Water - 1 cup

To pressure cook:

• Toor dal/Thuvaram parupu - ½ cup toor dal
• Water - 2 cups
• Tomato - 1
• Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp
• Asafoetida - a generous pinch

To cook veg:

• Pumpkin - 300g
• Water - 1 cup
• Salt - ⅛ tsp

To Temper

• Mustard seeds/Kadugu - ¼ tsp
• Urad dal/Ulunthu - ¼ tsp
• Fenugreek seeds/Methi/Vendhayam - 10 count
• Dry red chilli - 1
• Curry leaves - few
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch
• Small onions - 10

For flavor:

• Sambar powder - 1 tbsp
• Corinader leaves - few
• Salt - as required

Instructions

1. Soak gooseberry(nellikkai)-sized tamarind ball in 1 cup warm water. After 10-15 mins of soaking, rinse it well with fingers until it disperses well. Strain the tamarind extract through your fingers and throw away the pulp and seeds.
2. Wash ½ cup toor dal twice and transfer washed dal to cooker. Add 2 cups water and ¼ tsp turmeric powder.
3. Add a generous pinch of asafoetida and 1 chopped tomato.
4. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or until cooked well. Preferably, dal should be cooked well but without losing its shape. If you wish, you can cook till its mashed too.
5. Wash pumpkin well and cut as required. Scoop out the seeds and fibrous strands using a sharp spoon or a knife.
6. Chop the pumpkin into cubes, add it to a pan with 1 cup water and lil salt.
7. Cook closed in medium flame for 5 mins and check with a knife. If its cooked, the knife will smoothly go through it. Remove from heat and keep aside.
8. In a pan add sesame oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds. Once spluttered, simmer and add urad dal and just 10 fenugreek seeds.
9. Add 10 small onions, few curry leaves and 1 dry red chilli with a pinch of asafoetida. Fry in low flame until onions are slightly browned.
10. Add a tbsp of sambar powder, give a quick stir and pour in the tamarind extract.
11. Turn to medium flame and cook covered for 10 mins.
12. Add a pinch of asafoetida, required salt and cooked dal along with water in it. I rinsed the dal cooked cooker using ¼ cup water and added to it.
13. Mix well, adjust salt and once it starts to boil, add cooked pumpkin along with water in it. Mix gently.
14. Let it boil for 5 mins. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off.

Notes

Use any available sambar powder. Or just use 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp(or more) chilli powder, ¼ tsp roasted jeera powder, ⅛ tsp pepper powder.
Small onions taste best.. But if unavailable, you shall replace with big onion.
Adding asafoetida at 3 different stages renders nice flavor to sambar. Pls do not skip it.
You shall make the same sambar using any mixed vegetables like carrot, beans, potato, chow chow(Chayote squash).

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Preparation – How to make pumpkin sambar?

1.Soak gooseberry(nellikkai)-sized tamarind ball in 1 cup warm water. After 10-15 mins of soaking, rinse it well with fingers until it disperses well. Strain the tamarind extract through your fingers and throw away the pulp and seeds.2.Wash 1/2 cup toor dal twice and transfer washed dal to cooker. Add 2 cups water and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder.3.Add a generous pinch of asafoetida and 1 chopped tomato.4.Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles or until cooked well. Preferably, dal should be cooked well but without losing its shape. If you wish, you can cook till its mashed too.5.Wash pumpkin well and cut as required. Scoop out the seeds and fibrous strands using a sharp spoon or a knife.6.Chop the pumpkin into cubes, add it to a pan with 1 cup water and lil salt.7.Cook closed in medium flame for 5 mins and check with a knife. If its cooked, the knife will smoothly go through it. Remove from heat and keep aside.

8.In a pan add sesame oil. Once hot, add mustard seeds. Once spluttered, simmer and add urad dal and just 10 fenugreek seeds.9.Add 10 small onions, few curry leaves and 1 dry red chilli with a pinch of asafoetida. Fry in low flame until onions are slightly browned.10.Add a tbsp of sambar powder, give a quick stir and pour in the tamarind extract.11.Turn to medium flame and cook covered for 10 mins.12.Add a pinch of asafoetida, required salt and cooked dal along with water in it. I rinsed the dal cooked cooker using 1/4 cup water and added to it.13.Mix well, adjust salt and once it starts to boil, add cooked pumpkin along with water in it. Mix gently.14.Let it boil for 5 mins. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off.   Tasty and flavorful pumpkin sambar is ready.. Serve with hot rice/idli/dosa/chapathi.. Yummm..

Tips/Tricks in making pumpkin sambar

• Use any available sambar powder. Or just use 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp(or more) chilli powder, 1/4 tsp roasted jeera powder, 1/8 tsp pepper powder.
• Small onions taste best.. But if unavailable, you shall replace with big onion.
• Adding asafoetida at 3 different stages renders nice flavor to sambar. Pls do not skip it.
• You shall make the same sambar using any mixed vegetables like carrot, beans, potato, chow chow(Chayote squash).