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OK, this is going to be a little long post. Feb 26th is the first anniversary for Malar’s Kitchen. I never thought I would blog on for a year. It is already a year and I can’t believe it myself. I started it just like a kid and to document all recipes. To share some Chettinad recipes. I never felt I would be blogging so seriously. Blog world has given me wonderful friends. Though sometimes I did go stressed with the blog post, blogging is always fun, addictive and enjoyable.

I hope and guess have given some healthy recipes, some traditional recipes. Till date there is 182 published post in my blog. Sigh!!! Did I do that? I wonder myself 🙂 I should give credits to my husband who did bare my cooking 😉 yeah sometimes when I try out a recipe and if doesn’t work…he has to manage with it 😛 He is always supportive.  He is as well a blogger, who encouraged me all these days. In case you are interested do check his blog @ Known is a drop, Unknown is an ocean Thanks to all my blog followers, friends who follow in Facebook, friends who have subscribed via email. A big Thanks to everyone who have supported me and let me go on.

I never knew that food photography existed in the first few months while I started blogging. After seeing some wonderful pictures from co bloggers, I thought I should change my way and did few things. Till date I have just taken baby steps to learn.  Hope my pictures look a bit better now.

So for the first anniversary I have chosen my grandma’s recipe, who is everything for me in this world. Instead of a sweet, I have chosen a savory food 🙂 Why not a sweet, read on…

This sambar holds a very special place in my heart, a recipe of my grandma. Whenever she prepares this sambar, I eat lot more 😀 She makes it really spicy and everyone at my home loves it so much. She calls it Podi munukina poosanikai sambar. I have tried it many times and couldn’t get her results 😦 So I called again last week and said amma(I call her amma(mother) rather than grandma as she was the one who grew me up 🙂 ) give me the exact measurements. She always tells me add a bit of this, a bit of that and I miss the correct proportion which spoils the sambar. So this time I got the perfect measurement from her and YAY, I got it perfect 😀 I was so happy and jumped in joy 🙂 I wanted to document it and share with my blog reader, hope everyone would love it as much as I do 🙂

Pumpkin_Sambar Pumpkin_Sambar_1 Pumpkin_Sambar_2

Ingredients:

White Pumpkin/Poosanikai : 1 1/2 cup chopped (skin peeled)

Onion : 1/4 of a large

Tomato : 1/2 of a large

Turmeric Powder : generous pinch

Tamarind : 1 teaspoon

Water : as needed

Salt : as needed

To temper:

Oil : 1 1/2 tablespoon(reduce it if desired)

Mustard seeds : 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal : 1/2 teaspoon

Curry Leaves : Few

To grind :

Red Chili : 2 large (I have reduced from 4 to 2, if you like it more spicy can increase to 4)

Fennel Seeds/Sombu : 1 1/2 teaspoon

Fenugreek Seeds/Vendhayam: 1/4 teaspoon

Channa Dal/Kadalai Paruppu : 1 tablespoon

Raw Rice/Pachai arisi : 1 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida/Hing : 1/8 teaspoon

Method:

  • In a pan, dry roast each ingredient in to grind separately , make sure not to burn and let it cool. When cool, grind it to a coarse powder( I made it  to a fine powder).
  • Heat oil of 1 tablespoon in a medium pan. When hot add onion, saute for 2 mins.
  • Next add the chopped pumpkins, saute for 3 to 4 mins.
  • Next add tomato and saute till it mashes well. Add turmeric powder, salt and mix well.
  • Now add around 1 1/2 cups of water and let it boil for 6 to 7 mins. Close pan with lid.
  • Check if the pumpkin is 60 to 70% cooked. Now add the ground powder. Mix well.
  • Sambar would start getting thicker. Add 1/2 cup of water more and mix.
  • You can adjust water , so that it has the consistency of sambar. Make sure it is not too thick or not too watery.
  • Check for salt and adjust it as well.
  • Boil for another 10 mins. Now add tamarind juice and mix.
  • Boil for 5 mins. Finally check if the pumpkins are fully cooked with flavors.
  • Now heat 1/2 teaspoon oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, urad dal, hing. When they crackle, add curry leaves. When it splutters add it to the sambar.
  • Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve with rice.

Once again heart felt Thanks to all followers and supporters.

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