Bendakaya Sambar

½ cup Toor Dal
½ tsp Turmeric
¼ cup chopped Tomato
a small walnut-sized knob of tamarind
2 tbsp fresh or dry dessicated Coconut
1 tbsp Coriander Seeds
3 dry Red Chillies
½ tsp Fenugreek Seeds
10-12 Okra / Bendakaya, chopped
1 sliced Shallot or 2 tbsp Red Onion
2 Green Chillies
½ tsp Asafoetida
12-15 curry leaves
3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1 tsp jaggery or sugar
½ tsp brown mustard seeds
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Pressure cook the toor dal with 1½ cups of water, tomato and the turmeric until soft - 2 or 3 whistles.
Add ¼ cup of water to the tamarind and microwave for 30 seconds. Let it sit for a few minutes, and extract the pulp.
Toast the coconut in a pan until it begins to turn golden, keep it aside. Then toast the red chillies and half the fenugreek seeds for a few seconds, and separately toast the coriander seeds until they turn just a little darker.
In 1 tsp. of oil, fry half the curry leaves, the green chillies and the shallot until the shallot turns a little translucent.
Grind the dry roasted ingredients and the shallot mixture with about 2 tbsp water to form a smooth paste.
Heat the remaining 1 tsp oil; add the remaining fenugreek seeds and the mustard seeds. When the mustard begins to pop, add asafoetida and the remaining curry leaves, stir for a few seconds, then add the okra and cook it until it is half-done.
Add the tamarind pulp, salt and the ground paste, cook for a couple of minutes until the tamarind loses its raw smell.
Add the cooked dal, bring it to a boil, adjust the level of salt, and check if the okra is cooked. Add the jaggery if you wish. Take if off the heat, garnish with chopped coriander, and serve with rice or idlis.