Boodu Kumbalakai Kadale kalu sambar / ash gourd/winter melon and brown chana sambar is very popular sambar prepared during festivals, wedding and functions. Any time of the year this sambar is my favorite one 🙂 I am using rasam powder for this recipe, you can use sambar powder as well. This No Onion No Garlic and Vegan Sambar recipe.
Sambar is the most common dish in south Indian Kitchen. We use different combinations of vegetables, different spice mix to make it more interesting.
Here is the recipe to delicious boodu kumbalakai kadale kaalu sambar.

Ingredients Boodu Kumbalakai kadale kalu Sambar:

• 2 ½ cup to 3 cups of cut boodu kumbala kayi ash gourd
• soak ½ cup of dried whole bengal gram/brown chana yields around 1 cup
• ½ cup thogari bele / Toor dal
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 to 2.5 tbsp saarina pudi / Rasam Powder
• small key lime size tamarind soaked in water
• 1 to 1.5 tsp jaggery
• 2 to 3 tsp oil ( little for masale and remaining oil for seasoning)
• 4 to 4.5 cups water(depends on the consistency of the sambar
• 1.5 tsp salt or salt to taste
• 5 to 6 curry leaves

For Masale:

• 1 tbsp rice
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds, and 3 byadagi red chillies
• small piece of cinnamon
• ½ cup grated coconut

For seasoning:

• oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• pinch of hing
• Broken red chillies – 2 to 3 pieces

Method:

1. Wash and peel the skin. Cut the winter melon as shown in the video
2. Wash the toor dal and the soaked chana, then pressure cook this along with 1.5 cups of water,turmeric powder , and oil on medium heat . Turn off the heat after 3 whistles.

for masale:

1. Heat ½ tsp oil in a pan, fry red chillies first and remove it,
2. Now to the same oil add rice, coriander seeds, cinnamon, fry it until the rice turns white
3. Turn off the heat and add coconut, mix it and let it cool.

Now to make the sambar:

1. Half cook the cut wintermelon with 1 cup of water in a medium sauce pan on medium heat.
2. Cover it and cook it about 4 to 5 minutes
3. Grind the masala with enough water to fine paste and then add chillies and grind it to coarse texture. or you can grind all together to relatively coarse paste
4. add masala to the half cooked boodu kumbalakai along with rasam powder, mix it, then add the cooked dal and chana, salt, jaggery, and curry leaves, add tamarind juice, curry leaves, and add enough water to get the sambar consistency. mix it well and let it boil on medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes.
5. make sure to stir in between! I have used around 3.5 cups of water .
6. After 10 minutes,turn off the heat and sambar is ready.

For seasoning:

1. Heat the remaining oil in a ladle on medium heat.
2. Once hot add hing, mustard seeds, after the mustard seeds splutters turn off the heat and add red chillies.
3. it will be sufficient for 5 to 6 people.