Baby Onion Sambhar for Idly

Ingredients:
1 cup tur dal(split red gram,kandi pappu)-washed and boiled till soft or pressure cooked with 1:2 ratio water.
1 big tomato, chopped into pieces
1 Carrot, peel, wash and cut into big chunks
20 small/baby Onions, peel off the skin and wash and keep aside
3-4 slit green chillis
2 tsp sambhar powder(MTR is a good brand)
2 tbsp tamarind paste (or big lemon sized tamarind pulp soaked in warm water and extract the juice)
1 tbsp salt
1/4 bunch Coriander

Idly Sambhar Masala:
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp chana dal
1/2 tbsp cumin seeds
1/4 tbsp black pepper
3 Red chillies
1/4 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp dry coconut flakes
3 curry leaves
Fry all the above in little oil. When the aroma comes out, switch off the heat and grind into smooth powder

Seasoning:
2-3 Red chillies
1/4 tbsp mustard seeds, cumin seeds
10 fenugreek seeds
3-4 Garlic pods
Curry Leaves

Method:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a deep vessel. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilli and Garlic pods and fry till fenugreek seeds turn brown.
Add carrot Pieces and baby onions along with slit green chillies and fry for 2min. Add tomato pieces.
Now add Turmeric powder, Sambhar powder and salt and mix well.
Add tamarind pulp, two cups of water, add two crushed garlic pods and ¼ bunch of coriander leaves and let it boil till the rawness of tamarind disappears.
Add the pressure-cooked tur dal and cook for 4 more minutes.
Before you swtich off the heat, add Idli Sambhar masala and stir well and cook for just one min and turn-off the heat.

Now piping hot and very tasty sambhar is ready to be served. This sambhar goes very well Idly or Dosa.