Cooking in hotelroom- Quick travel recipes

[dev]

TVS, I tried the instant sambar mix...it was good with rice... to improvise, I added a bit of homemade sambar powder while it was boiling and also a dallop of ghee while serving... 75% sambar maadhiri irundhichu... texture was not like sambar(so 25% marks minus ) but tastewise it was good and after the additions it was good for tiffin iitems also... I feel one can fry the dhals, fenugreek and grind to a powder... do the tadka and add req qty of the usual sambar powder and salt... that way we'll get a sambar close to the taste we are used to...

Anyway, Here is the recipe I tried...

Instant sambar mix

Ingredients:
5 tbsp toor dal
1 Tbs chana dal
2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 Red chilli
A pinch of fenugreek seeds / methi seeds
1/4 cup grated dried coconut - I din't use as I din't ahve any
1 Tbsp rice
Tamarind- abt a nellikkai sized
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt-1 tbsp
For tadka: 2 Tbsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds, few curry leaves, few pinches of asafoetida powder

How to prepare the instant sambhar mix:
1. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to pop, add the asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Turn off the stove and let the tadka cool.
2. Toast toordal and chanadal in another pan until slightly golden brown. Add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and red chillies if using. Saute until coriander seeds start changing color. Turn off the stove and to the pan, add the remaining ingredients that were not toasted in steps 1 or 2. Let cool.
3. Add toordal, chanadal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, rice, coconut, tamarind, salt, red chillies and turmeric powder to a mixer / blender and grind to a fine powder.
4. Add the tadka to the ground powder and mix well.
5. Store it in an airtight container.

Making sambhar:
Add about 2 Tbsp sambhar mix to 150 ml of water added and boil for 2-3 mins. Garnish with cilantro.
veggies / tomatoes / onions can be cooked and added to this to make a more flavorful sambhar.
Add a bit of jabbgery if using for idli/dosai

Recipe source: http://veggieplatter.blogspot.com/20...mbhar-mix.html