CLUSTER BEANS / KOTHAVARANGAI SAMBAR
Kothavarangai is called as cluster beans. We usually make sambar,poriyal,poricha kuzhambu and usili with this cluster beans. Kothavarangai sambar is the easy and tasty sambar that can be served with hot rice by topping with ghee & any stir fry / kara poriyal. This is a simple sambar variety which can be made very quickly. This is my moms recipe and my favorite one. Lets look at the steps to make this sambar.
Preparation Time : 15 mints | Cook time: 30 mints | Serves: 4
Ingredients :
Oil - 1 tbspn
Mustard - 1 tspn Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tspn Urad dal - 1 tspn Red chili - 1 Curry leaves - Few
Cluster beans - 15 nos Toor dal - 1/2 cup Onion - 1/4 cup chopped Tomato - 1/4 cup chopped Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup Sambar powder - 1 tbspn Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn Hing - 1 pinch Salt - As needed
Coriander leaves - 1 tbspn chopped
Method :
1. Wash and soak the toor dal for 30 mints. Pressure cook toor dal with sesame oil, turmeric for 4 whistles.
2. Cut the cluster beans into 2 inch piece and boil with little salt and water. Once done, strain the water. Heat the oil in pan add the mustard seeds, fenugreek and urad dal. Once dal turns golden add the curry leaves and red chili.
3. Add onion fry till transparent, then add tomatoes fry until soft and then add boiled cluster beans to it.
4. Add tamarind extract, turmeric, sambar powder, hing and mix well. Once it boils well, and raw smell goes off. Add cooked dal to it.
5. Add salt and adjust water consistency. Bring to boil. Cook until the sambar is thick and add the coriander leaves. Switch off the flame.
Serve with hot rice and poriyal..!!
My Notes :
1. Usually i wont discard the vegetables boiled water. But my mom prefer not to use the the kothavarngai boiled water.
2. Sambar should not be too thick.
3. Instead of onion you can add shallots.
