Kumbakonam Mixed Vegetable Sambar

Heat a wide, thick-bottomed pan on low flame with a splash of coconut oil. Fry the solid asafoetida pieces until they puff up, turn golden and crisp.

Add the chana dal and roast until golden, then add the coriander seeds and roast well.

Add the black pepper, cumin seeds and cashew nuts and roast together.

Toss in the dry red chillies and poppy seeds and keep roasting continuously on low heat.

Finally add the curry leaves and roast until crisp but still green. Transfer everything to a wide plate to cool, stirring in the turmeric powder while warm.

In the same pan, add a little more coconut oil. Add the small onions, green chillies and a few curry leaves and sauté briefly.

Add the chopped big onions and sauté until translucent.

Add the pumpkin, carrot and white brinjal. Sauté well until the vegetables change colour and start releasing moisture (oil separating).

Pour the cooked, mashed toor dal over the sautéed vegetables. Add a little turmeric and bring to a good boil for 2–3 minutes until the veggies are fully cooked.

In a separate bowl, mix the tamarind extract, sambar powder, salt and jaggery, loosening with water to the consistency you like.

In a small tadka pan, heat coconut oil and splutter the mustard seeds, dry red chillies and curry leaves. Pour the tempering over the boiling sambar, then turn off the heat.

Drizzle a generous amount of ghee over the sambar.

Sprinkle the freshly ground special sambar podi evenly over the top. Crucial: do NOT boil the sambar after adding the podi — it will lose its aroma and turn bitter.