Ulibitambaram

Ulibitambaram - This one word typically explains where I come from. Some people call it Sambar - but no this is different. The name if translated says Uli (Tamarind), bittu (added), ambaram (curry, soup....er, Sambar). In the western world one can call it a Lentil soup with Tamarind.

As I was thinking of a good dish to begin the Blog, this was one that went way back to my roots and I couldn't shrug it away. Even though we hardly make it these days. This was one of my signature dishes for a long long time amongst my friend's community. The very first time I had actually seen how this was cooked was at K.R. Puram (Bangalore) - thanks to Radha (Sethuraman). (Radha, Sridhar, Puneet, Phani & Biju - if you are reading this...hope you remember that sambar). From then on, there was no stopping for my Ulibitambaram. 


Ulibitambaram comes in various shapes and forms depending on the primary vegetable. It is quite versatile that way, you can make it with almost any veggie. However, THE Ulibitambaram  is the one made with Drumstick (Nuggikkai). Nuggikkai Ulibitambaram - it simply rocks. It can be had with any side of poriyal (sabji/stir fried veggies), but the best would be with Appalam (Ambi's appalam if you can get it).


If you want to try it:


What goes in:

• Toor Dal
• Oil (Any kind that suits you)
• Turmeric powder
• Asafoetida
• Red chilly powder
• Salt
• Onion
• Tomato
• Vegetable (Pick any that is  fleshy)
• Mustard seeds
• Tamarind water
• Badaga (An exotic mix of shallots, mustard seeds, curry leaves and what not. More about this in a later post)

The way I do it:

1) Pressure cook the Toor dal  (about 2 -3 whistles.) with a few drops of oil and a pinch of turmeric powder.

2) While the dal is being pressurised you can start with the veggies.

3) Heat a deep pan and sautee the mustard seeds until they crackle.

4) Sautee the onions until they become translucent.

5) Mix in the veggie. Add turmeric powder, Asafoetida and red chilly powder. Sautee for about 3-4 minutes.

6) Add the tomatoes and continue sauteeing until the tomatoes are soft.

7) Add water as much as you want. You can't go wrong here. If it gets too thick, serve the same as Dal. If it gets too watery serve it as Rasam. :-) If you want to get it just right - experiment. :-) 

8) As the water comes to a boil add in the tamarind water. I usually save some for a later point to touch up if I don't get enough sourness.

9) Once the tamarind added soup comes to a boil add in the pressure cooked Toor Dal.

10) Oh yes, somewhere in between do add salt to your liking.

11) Let the mix to boil. Usually until the veggies are soft enough. However you can leave it longer if you want to thicken the plot...er Sambar.
12) Sautee the Badaga in oil and garnish the Ulibitambaram. THIS is the secret ingredient here. (I wonder how I missed it the first time...thanks to staying away from India for a long time!!)

Yes, you really don't need Sambar powder to make Ulibitambarm (or any Sambar for that matter).

This is to be served with Sona Masoori rice. If had with any other variety (Basmati or Jasmine) it would kill the taste.

Happy Cooking !!

Bleepers:

1) Today while this was being prepared, the blog was so much in my mind that I forgot putting the weight on the pressure cooker. Just a little mess...nothing that could not be taken care. ;-)

2) As I added water Uma came by and had a question about the water level. Well...just had to simmer it a few extra minutes to get to where I wanted it to be. :-)