Active Time

　　20 minutes

　　Total Time

　　1 hour

　　This aromatic mixture of split peas and vegetables is a staple in the South Indian diet. It always accompanies favorite snacks such as dosas (lentil crêpes) and idlis (lentil dumplings). A traditional Sadhya feast wouldn't be complete without this flavorful source of protein. Asafetida (a garlicky resin from the sap of a fennel-like plant; it's often used in lentil dishes) and fenugreek provide its pleasantly pungent aroma. This recipe is part of our menu for Sadhya, a South Indian feast.

　　

Ingredients

Makes 6 servings (as part of a large meal)

　　1/2 cup thoor dal (yellow pigeon peas) or dried yellow split peas, rinsed and drained

　　3 1/2 cups water, divided

　　1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric

　　1/2 teaspoon tamarind concentrate (preferably Tamicon brand)

　　2 tablespoons hot water

　　1 tablespoon vegetable oil

　　1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

　　1/8 teaspoon ground asafetida

　　1 medium boiling potato, cut into 3/4-inch pieces

　　1 small tomato, chopped

　　1 small onion, chopped

　　1/4 pound okra or green beans, trimmed and cut into thirds

　　1 small fresh green chile, such as serrano, Thai, or jalapeño, slit lengthwise with stem end intact

　　1/4 cup chopped cilantro

　　4 teaspoons sambar powder (see Cooks' Notes)

　　Salt

　　Fresh lemon juice to taste

　　

Step 1

Bring dal, 1 1/2 cups water, and turmeric to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce heat to very low and cook, covered (check occasionally, and if mixture appears dried out, add up to about 1/4 cup water), until peas are soft and break when pressed with a spoon, about 30 minutes (45 minutes if using split peas).

　　

Step 2

Meanwhile, dissolve tamarind concentrate in 2 tablespoons hot water, breaking it up with your fingers.

　　

Step 3

Heat oil in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then cook fenugreek seeds and asafetida, stirring, until fenugreek seeds begin to brown, about 30 seconds. Stir in remaining 2 cups water, potato, vegetables, chile, cilantro, sambar powder, tamarind mixture, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer, uncovered, until all vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes.

　　

Step 4

Mash dal in saucepan with a potato masher or back of a spoon to form a coarse paste, then stir into vegetable mixture. Simmer 10 minutes, stirring in water as necessary to thin (consistency should be thinner than pea soup). Season with salt and lemon juice.

　　Cooks' Notes:

　　•Indian ingredients can be mail-ordered from Kalustyans.com.

　　•To make your own sambar powder: Mix 3 teaspoons ground coriander, 3/4 teaspoon ground cuminutes, and 1/8 teaspoon each of ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and asafetida.

　　•Chile can be removed during cooking when stew is spicy enough for your taste.

　　•Sambar can be made 2 days ahead and chilled.