Bottle Gourd Sambar / Suraikai Sambar | Sambar Recipes

Looking at my Menu Page I found that I hadn't posted the famous south-Indian Sambar recipe. Sambar features almost at least once in a week in our home for rice and the day I make idlis. Though I make this way sometimes, most frequently I follow the simple Pressure cooker method (recipe coming soon). If you are looking for a basic sambar recipe, I bet you will love this. 

Ingredients:
Toor Dhal - 1 cup
Onion - 1 cup
Tomato - 1
Bottle gourd - 1 cup - cubed
Tamarind - size of half a lemon - juice extracted to make 1 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 5
Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tsp (I used Madras Sambar powder)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak the toor dhal with plenty of water for 30 mins. Cook with turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp salt until soft and mashed when pressed. Cook the bottle gourd pieces with water in a closed pan for about 10 minutes or soft. I used a MW oven to cook for about 3-4 minutes. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter the mustard seeds and urad dhal. Add the curry leaves, asafoetida followed by the onions. Cook the onions until soft. Add the tomatoes with a pinch of salt and cook until mushy. Add the sambar powder and fry in medium heat until the raw smell of the masala disappears. Add the cooked bottle gourd pieces, cooked mashed dhal and tamarind extract. Adjust for salt and allow it to simmer for about 10-15 minutes. Serve over rice.
Notes:
The tamarind smell should vanish in the cooked sambar. 
The amount of sambar powder varies on its spice level. The brand I used is little on the spicier side so I just used 1 1/2 tsp.
You may also add a quarter tsp of chilli powder, though that is completely optional.
Other vegetables that can be used are drumstick, carrot, beans, ash gourd etc.
A combination of the above vegetables can also be used.
Linking this to Vardhini's Dish it Out.