Kurma

Received this letter from Swathi Raghavan of Bangalore. Thought I'd share it with you.

"I was going through your website and found the recipe for sambar masala. As I am a kannadiga* from Bangalore, and a Sri Vaishnava Brahmin, I thought you might like the recipe my family uses:

To make sambar for 4 people:

1/2 cup chana dal
1/2 cup coriander seeds
red chillies (quantity depends on the heat desired but usually half the volume of chana dal)
3 tablespoons dessicated coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorn
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 pinches asafoetida
1 tsp oil
1 tomato

Fry everything but the tomato and dessicated coconut in the oil on a low flame till the chana dal is golden brown. Allow to cool and grind to a fine powder. Add the coconut and tomato and 1/4 cup of water, and grind to a fine paste."

*Kannadiga (fem. Kannadati) is the term for a native of the state of Karnataka in India. Also, a native speaker of Kannada in other regions might also consider himself a Kannadiga.