Cheera sambhar/ Spicy Spinach and Lentil Curry

Yesterday I made cheera sambhar, usually during Sunday menu sambhar will be there as main curry dish along with other sides dish and rice. My hubby love sambhar, and during his bachelor days he often made this spinach sambhar, some time he makes broccoli sambhar too. After marriage I tried spinach sambhar but not yet got courage to try his second version of sambhar.  Amma usually makes mixed vegetable sambhar as well as with shallots, trust me the second one is most tasty. 

It is one of the common curries all over south India. They make their presence during breakfast, lunch and dinner. I make spinach rice whenever I get the spinach, this time hubby told me to make spinach sambhar, may be he was missing it for long time. 

Standing for long time is becoming a hard task for me. My back hurts like hell; sitting for a long time is also a tough choice for me. Cooking dishes for a long time has become a herculean task, I will be happy if I can make one side dish, curry and rice.  What else you can expect in the later stages of pregnancy, night sleep means waking every hour for peeing intervals. 

Coming back to cheera sambhar it is one of easy dish you can prepare if you have sambhar powder in your hand. I make this sambhar slightly different than the other version. Here I used to fry the onion first and then wilt the spinach and then boil with tamarind juice. When it starts boiling, add sambhar powder and then add cooked toor dal or split pigeon peas to it. According my hubby’s request I boiled a potato along with toor dal and added to this. Finally seasoned sambhar with curry leaves, mustard seeds, red chilies and asafetodia.

This is ultimate combo of iron and protein rich curry. About spinach and lentil you know to health benefits, I don’t need to repeat it. Try this one if you want change in your daily routine meal.  Here goes the recipe.

One year ago : Pain Aux Amandes/ Almond bread

Two year ago : Mutter paneer/ Green peas cooked with paneer cheese

Print recipe from here 

What you need

Spinach: 1 bunch( wash thoroughly in  running hot water and chopped fine)

Onion: ½ cup( Chopped finely)

Potato: 1 no

Toor dal/ split pigeon peas: ½ cup

Olive oil: 1 tablespoon

Sambhar powder: 1 tablespoon ( I used store bought one)

Salt: 1 teaspoon or to taste

Tamarind:  small ping pong size ball

Turmeric powder: ¼ teaspoon
Curry leaves: 1 sprig

Mustard seeds: ¼ teaspoon

Asafetodia: ¼ teaspoon

Red chilies: 2 no

Water: 2 1/4 cups

How I made

In a pressure cooker , cook toor dal and potato with 2 cups of water for about 3 whistles or 15 minutes and set aside.

In a medium sauce pot heat 1 teaspoon of oil and add chopped onion and let if fry for 6 minutes  or until they become translucent or change color.  To this add chopped spinach turmeric and salt and let it wilt for about 2 minutes. In the mean time extract juice from tamarind with ¼ cup of water and set aside. 

Then add tamarind juice and bring to a boil to this add sambhar powder and again let it boil for a 2 minutes. To this add cooked toor dal and potato and mix everything.  Bring to boil again. In the mean time in a small skillet add rest of oil mustard seeds, red chilies, asafetodia and curry leaves. Once mustard seeds starts 

popping switch off and add it to curry. 

Enjoy with rice and other side dish.

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Yield: 6 serving

Verdict: Yummy

Will you make it again: Yes I will

I am linking this healthy curry to Hearth and  Soul  blog  hop: 76  hosted here