Ash Gourd Sambar Recipe

Time and servings

Prep time	10 min
Cook time	15 min
Total time	25 min
Serves	3 servings

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Ingredients

• ½ kg ash gourd / winter melon / budhu kumbalakai / pumpkin
• 1 cup tamarind extract
• ½ tsp turmeric powder / haldi
• 1 tsp jaggery / gud / bella
• salt to taste
• few curry leaves
• 1 cup toor dal (cooked)
• 3 tsp sambar powder
• 2 tbsp coriander leaves (finely chopped)

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for tempering:

• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds / rai
• pinch of hing / asafoetida
• few curry leaves

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Instructions

1. firstly, peel the skin of kumblakai and cut them into pieces. the skin can be used to prepare kumblakai sippe chutney.
2. now boil them with a cup of tamarind extract.
3. also add in ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp jaggery, salt to taste and few curry leaves.
4. cover and boil for 10 minutes or till ash gourd cooks well.
5. now add in 1 cup cooked toor dal.
6. adjust consistency and boil for 2 minutes.
7. now add 3 tsp sambar powder. mix and simmer for a minute. do not over boil it.
8. meanwhile prepare the tempering by heating oil.
9. further add 1 tsp mustard seeds, pinch of hing and few curry leaves.
10. allow the tempering to splutter and pour over sambar.
11. also add in coriander leaves and mix well.
12. finally, serve ash gourd sambar along with hot steamed rice.

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Step-by-step

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Video

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Notes

• firstly, do not over cook the ash gourd as they turn mushy.
• also, add sambar powder depending on the spice level.
• additionally, mash the dal before adding to sambar, else it wont taste great.
• finally, ash gourd sambar can be served without adding tempering.