Varutharacha Sambar | Sambhar with Roasted coconut | Thrissur Style Sambar

Sambar is a very well known recipe in the southern parts of India and now in North India as well.But still being from Kerala,I have learnt two methods of making sambar by now and there are many other variants with one veg alone combinations.This is a recipe( which I don't frequently make )that I learnt from my MIL and this sambar prepartion is different from that my mother makes.This is a slightly lengthy process of roasting the shredded coconut and then grinding it to a smooth paste.And by now,you might have understood the reason of me not making it often but the dish is very thick, delicious & flavorful such that it can be just served with plain rice alone with no additional side dishes.Do check this out with steamed rice or dosas !!

Ingredients
to cook
toor dal / tuvara parippu 1/3 cup
potato 1 medium sized (peeled & cubed)
carrots 2 (peeled and cubed)
drumsticks 7-8 pieces of 2" long
brinjal  1 small cubed
tomato 1 chopped
ash gourd 1/2 cubed(refer notes)
pearl onions 8-10(peeled)
asafoetida 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
salt

to roast & grind
shredded coconut 1 cup
coriander seeds 2 tsp/ coriander powder 2tsp
red chilly 2-3 /chilly powder 1 tsp
fenugreek seeds/fenugreek powder 1/4 tsp
sambar powder 2 tbsp
shallots 3-4 (I have skipped this)
curry leaves

to temper
mustard seeds 1 tsp
shallots finely sliced 5-6
curry leaves
dry red chillies 3
curry leaves few

Method
-Use a clay pot or heavy bottomed pan.Add the toor/tuvar dal enough water to cook,add salt & turmeric powder.Bring to boil,let it cook until 2/3 cooked.(refer notes)
-Add the vegetables, asafoetida. at this point except tomato.Cook again until tender.
-In the mean time,dry roast the coconut in another non stick pan.Wait till the color changes to evenly brownish(don't burn it up,keep stirring & keep on medium flame)Add the spices on low flame,warm it up.Put off flame.(Refer pics below)

-Cool down and grind adding little water to a smooth paste.
-Add this to the boiling vegetables,add tomato.Bring to boil.Wait till it thickens for 7 minutes.
-In another pan,temper the sambhar by adding 2tsp of oil in the pan and splutter mustard seeds,fry curry leaves and red dry chillies.Saute shallots till pinkish brown,Add this on the cooked sambhar.
-Serve with rice!!

Servings ~ 4 adults

NOTES
* If you are using pressure cooker to cook the dal,make sure the dal is not very mushy when cooked.
* You can add tamarind pulp instead of tomato.
* You can add 2-3 shallots when roasting coconut too,adds flavor and my MIL does it.
* You can add more vegetables too or replace the existing ones with some other veggie.
* You can cook the toor dal and veggies in a pressure cooker  but it shouldn't be over cooked.
* Try using the whole spices for grinding,adds more flavor.