Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
                        ***SET 1***
   1      cup           rice
     1/2  cup           split red gram
     1/4  teaspoon      turmeric
   3      cups          water
                        salt -- to taste
   2      tablespoons   tamarind paste
                        ***SET 2***
   1      medium        tomato -- cut into 4 pieces
   2                    green chiles -- sliced
     1/4  cup           peas
     1/4  cup           potato pieces
   1                    baby eggplant -- cut into slightly
                        - larger than bite-sized pieces
     1/4  cup           French beans
                        ***SET 3***
     1/4  cup           butter
   6                    black peppercorns
  10                    cashew nuts
     1/2  teaspoon      cumin seeds
  10                    curry leaves
     1/2  cup           coriander leaves
   2      teaspoons     sambar powder
   1      pinch         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