Amma's Special Sambhar Rice

Grrrrrgh!
Course : Curry
From: HungryMonster.com
Serves: 4
 

Ingredients:

---SET 1---
1 cup rice
1/2 cup split red gram
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
3 cups water
1 teaspoon salt -- to taste
2 tablespoons tamarind paste
---SET 2---
1 medium tomato -- cut into 4 pieces
2 medium green chiles -- sliced
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup potato pieces
1 medium eggplant
1/4 cup French beans
---SET 3---
1/4 cup butter
6 pieces black peppercorns
10 pieces cashew nuts
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 pieces curry leaves
1/2 cup coriander leaves
2 teaspoons sambar powder
1 dash asafetida
 

Preparation:

Cook rice and split red gram in 3.5 cups of water until the mixture is well cooked. Add salt and turmeric and remove from heat. (It is alright if there is until some water left in the pot). Cook all the ingredients in set 2 in 3/4 cup of water. Add the above cooked vegetables and tamarind paste to the pot containing rice and split red gram and cook on medium heat for seven minutes. Heat butter in a wide skillet and when butter has melted add peppercorns, cashew nuts and cumin seeds. Fry on lower than medium heat for a few minutes until the cashew nuts turn pale brown. Now add asafetida, curry leaves and coriander leaves. Fry for a minute. Next add sambar powder, stir once and immediately add the contents of the pot containing rice and vegetables. Stir well and cook for three to four minutes on medium and remove from heat. Serve hot with a little butter on top. Note: Some people prefer a strong aroma of asafetida while others do not. In case you prefer it stronger, then add asafetida to the skillet just before adding rice instead of adding as mentioned in the recipe. (Rice retains the flavor of asafetida much better than oil). Preparation Time: 30 minutes if preparing own sambar powder, 10 minutes if using a ready made powder. Cooking Time: 30 minutes