Bottle Gourd Sambar

Bottle Gourd Sambar is south Indian main course recipe. It is also known as Sorakaya in telugu, Sorakkai in tamil, etc. There are various varieties of sambar like Drumstick – brinjal sambar, mixed vegetables sambar, idly sambar etc. Today lets see how to make Bottle Gourd Sambar. 

Bottle Guard Sambar

Ingredients: Serve - 4

• Bottle Gourd – ¼ kg
• Toor dhal – 1 cup
• Oil – 4tspn
• Mustard seeds – 1/2tspn
• Urad dhal – 1/2tspn
• Onion – 2 (medium size)
• Tomato – 1(medium size)
• Curry leaves – as required
• Coriander leaves - as required
• Salt – 1 & 1/2tspn (adjust to taste)
• Turmeric powder – 1/4tspn
• Sambar powder – 2tspn
• Garlic – 6 pieces
• Cumin seeds -1/2tspn
• Water – 1 & ½ glass
• Tamarind juice – ½ cup
• Hing powder – 1/4tspn

The following picture shows the step by step process for Bottle Gourd Sambar:

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Method:

1. Wash and remove the skin of bottle gourd, cut it as medium size pieces.
2. Take toor dhal in a bowl ,wash and soak for 15minutes. (figure 1)
3. Take a pressure cooker, add soaked toor dhal, 1 onion, tomato, 3 garlic pieces, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, 1 glass water and 1/2tspn oil. Close with lid & cook for 4 vessels.(figure 2 & 3)
4. Open the cooker and smash the dal with smasher. (figure 4)
5. Add bottle guard pieces, salt, sambar powder, ½ glass water and cook for 1 vessel. (figure 5 & 6)
6. Add Tamarind juice and cook for 5 minutes in a medium flame or until sambar gets boiled by closing with lid as shown in figure 11.(figure 7)
7. Mean while take a pan, heat oil in medium flame add mustard seeds wait for crackle then add urad dhal, 1 onion pieces / vadium prepared at home, curry leafs, 3 garlic smashed and saute for 1 minute. (figure 8)
8. Now add to the sambar and cook for 1 minute.(figure 9)
9. Add hing powder and cook for 1minute by closing with lid.(figure 10 & 11)
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve in a bowl. (figure 12)

Bottle Gourd Sambar is ready to Serve !

Additional Tips:-

• In step 5, cook the bottle gourd for only 1 vessel or else it will smash.
• In step 7, if u add onions roast them until its color changes to golden brown and if u add vadium then saute for 1 minute.