This is rustic semi hot and spicy sauce which is perfect for roast chicken but would work also for meatballs / albondigas or on fish ..hell I would even serve as a dunking sauce for a crusty baguette.. the recipe here is good to make in bulk and freeze.. just add the cream before you decide to serve it

• Tomatoes over ripe even – 500 g
• Garlic cloves peeled – 3-4/10 g
• Onion brown peeled half -50-60 g
• Vegetable oil-1T/ 20 g
• Salt- to taste
• Chipotle chilli for the smoky taste ..1-2
• Chicken stock -200 g

Take a heavy bottom carbon steel or cast iron pan and heat it .when quite hot add every thing inside except the stock.. the idea is to get all the vegetable charred and black almost..just one step away from burnt…

Cool down and blend till smooth. Us the stock to adjust consistency. Check seasoning .

I also typically add some cream- about 100 g and pepper to finish the sauce..

This is not a recipe for a dosa but more like the mini me for your dr evil or the thorn for your rose. Don’t tell me your mum makes it better than this…I’m sure she does but a it’s not a competition..every one has their own version..this is my own

These are the accompaniments for that delectable fermented pancake or the steamed rice cake the idli .there will be part trois absolutement for the two chutneys ..too but that’s not today..the train I’m writing this in will reach much before that.

So for the dal we need either tur/ Tuvar dal or a mix of tur dal and masoor( the red lentil).we will make one pot full of sambar it’s hard to put down how many portions we can get out of it.

• Tur dal.- 1/2 cup / approximately 120 g wash rinse and soak.Cook either in the pressure cooker approximately 2-3 whistles or in the pot till it’s soft and mushy. Add a qtr spoon of fenugreek seeds during the cooking time
• eggplant -30-40 g cut in cubes
• small red shallots – 4-5 peeled called vengayam in Tamil they give a hint of sweetness to the lentil
• Drumstick( not the chicken kind)/ Moringa / Murungakai-1 cut into 2 inch pieces . Give a unique flavour to it
• Tomato small / 75 g cut into large dice.
• oil 10 ml
• mustard seeds -1/4 t / 2 g
• Asafoetida- pinch prevents you from becoming Gassy classy ..
• curry leaves – 1 sprig fresh or dry..
• dry red chilli – 1/2 small one
• turmeric-1/4 t..yup the same thing which goes in your latte but with no sugar
• Sambar masala podi/ powder use mtr or brahmins – 1/4- to 1/2 t
• Tamarind -5 g soaked in 50 ml hot water
• Ghee – 10 g to add in the end ..for that flavour burst

Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds they should start to pop and crackle . Add also the asafetida , curry leaves the powdered spices and the cooked lentils.

Then simmer with the cut vegetable till vegetable are tender and add tomato and tamarind. Add ghee right in end for the extra oomph