Arachuvitta Onion Sambar

Arachuvitta Onion Sambhar and Urulaikilangu curry ( potato curry) are a classic Tamil Brahmin Combination. My inlaw’s still make them for lunch every Sunday!!

Whats your Sunday’s lunch Menu? Every house hold must be having a routine and fixed family favorite menu for Sunday’s lunch. We all used too.. In my maternal house , I have grown up enjoying Aloo ke Paratha’s served with Amul butter and tomato ketchup .Followed with that , a course of curd rice is a must at home. We did not stand a choice to turn down having a portion of curd rice then. Some Sunday’s it used to Vegetable Pulav with yogurt and some Rice along with Yogurt and tiny bit spicy pickle.

In H’s house it used be altogether a 360 degree opposite cuisine menu. Ever since he has realized, my MIL has been making Onion Sambar along with Potato roast for Sunday’s lunch .Even today , when we visit India during our vacation , my MIL follows the ritual.. This combo  is just unbelievably awesome. You must try it at least once , to believe it to be too good to be true.
This Archavittu Vengaya Sambar , belongs to Palakkad Cuisine and is so so versatile , it goes well with tiffin items like Idly’s,Dosa’s, Pongal, Adai, Vada and many more.
Archavittu in tamil means ,ground mixture. There are a 50 ways to make Sambar, either with coconut or without , with readymade Sambar Powder and so forth.
There are few other Palakkad Cuisine recipes in this space – Molagooshyam , Mathan Podithuval /Pumpkin Coconut Curry , Beetroot Curry , humble Potato curry , Mangakari – Raw Mango Pickle , Pulikachal – Puli Inji

As promised in my earlier posts, I am bringing to you yet another family favorites with no alternations , no flairs and no pom poms.

ONION SAMBAR | ARACHUVITTU VENGAYA SAMBAR Serves 3-4 | Total Time Taken 1 Hour INGREDIENTS · ½ Kg peeled Chinna Vengayam (Small Onions) · 1 Cup Tur dal · Small Lemon sized Tamarind · 3-4 Tsp Coriander leaves · 1 tsp Jaggery · 4 -5 Tsp Sunflower Oil · ¾ Tsp Mustard Seeds + ¾ Tsp Methi Seeds for Seasoning                To grind : · 3-4 Tsp grated Coconut · 1 tsp Coriander seeds · ¼ Tsp Mendiyam ( Methi Seeds) · 2-3 Nos Dried Red Chilli · ½ Tsp Chana Dal DIRECTIONS: · Dry roast all the ingredients other than grated coconut, in Table 2 in 2 tsp of oil. Roast until they slightly begin to change color and a lovely aroma of roasted spices begins to come .Let it cool down. Grind along with coconut, using a little water (4- 6 tsp) and obtain a fine, thick paste. · Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 min. Squeeze out all the juice of the tamarind & keep it aside. Pressure cook the Tur Dal and set it aside once its cooked. · Peel the onions, wash them and set it aside. If the onions are slightly large  chop them into two halves. · In a kadai, fry the onions in 2-3 tsp of oil to eliminate the raw smell. To this , add tamarind water , turmeric powder & salt to taste. · Allow this mix to boil for some time. Sprinkle some jaggery and about 1 cup of water if quantity has reduced to half.Allow this mix to boil further. At this stage add cooked tur dal and the coconut- spices paste. Let this mixture boil for a little more time until sambar is well mixed with all the new additional ingredients. · Turn of the gas and prepare for seasoning in another small pan. Heat 1 tsp of oil and add mustard seeds and methi seeds. Once the mustard begins to splutter, quickly pour it onto the prepared sambar. · Garnish the Sambar with chopped coriander leaves. Onion Sambar is ready to be served with Rice & Aloo Podimas (A Potato delicacy). An Ideal Sunday Lunch. NOTES Use freshly grated coconut or frozen grated coconut to get optimised flavour. Desiccated coconut would altogether alter the flavour and is not recommendable. You could use large onions, but the small onions ( shallots) renders a bit of sweet flavour . Dried Chilli could be increased if you like it spicier. If you do not enjoy your sambar with a ting of sweetness, reduce the jaggery further.