Onions in gravy

Onions in gravy
White or red pearl onions/ sliced regular onions are cooked in a spicy tamarind and split yellow lentil gravy. This dish is usually had with plain white rice, steamed rice cakes, deep fried lentil balls (vada or mysore/plain bonda). This is a very popular southern dish. The sambar powder/masala (spice powder used for this dish) like the one pictured beside, is the key ingredient and is available in any indian grocery stores under different brand names. It uses spices like fenugreek, coriander seeds, dried red chilli, asafoetida powder, curry leaves and much more. This is also called as onion sambar. Sambar here means soup/gravy.
Ingredients: (*means available in Indian grocery stores)

• *1 cup split yellow peas ( toor/tur dal), cooked soft and mushy with water
• 1 big onion, peeled,  sliced or diced into cubes
• *3 tsps tamarind paste
• *2 Tbsps sambar powder/madras sambar powder
• 3 tsps salt
• *1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 Tbsp oil
• *1/4 tsp black mustard seeds
• *1 or 2 dried red chilies, broken into big bits
• *Optional: a pinch of asafoetida powder
• *Optional: 4 to 5 curry leaves, fresh/dried

Method:

• Heat a heavy bottom saucepan with the oil.
• When hot add the mustard seeds. After they pop add the dried red chilies, optional asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Give it a fry and immediately add the onions and sweat it (fry on low heat till it turns transparent) or just fry it for 2 min.
• Now add a cup of water and cook the onions half covered until well cooked. The onion should become almost transparent and should easily break apart when pressed between fingers. Add more water if needed to cook the onions.
• Now dilute the tamarind paste in 1/2 a cup of water and add this to the cooked onions. Bring it to a full boil so that the raw smell of the tamarind goes away.
• Add the cooked split yellow peas, a cup of water, sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder and bring it all to another full roaring boil. Remove from heat and serve. The consistency should be like a thick soup.

Tips:

• Add a pinch of baking soda while cooking the split yellow peas to quicken the cooking process. It also helps the split peas to cook well and mushy.
• If more spicy is prefered add 2 tsps of cayenne pepper powder or red chili powder along with the sambar powder.
• Stays in the refregirator for 2 days. Bring it to a boil before serving.
• The sambar powder (spice powder for soups) stays well for upto 2 months in an airtight container in the pantry.
• Vegetables like green beans (fresh or frozen), potatoes, carrots, eggplant, okra can be substituted for onions or used along with onions in this gravy dish.