South Indian lentil and vegetable stew (Sambar)

1. Wash the toor dal and cook with the turmeric and 600 ml of the water for 30 minutes (3 whistles in a pressure cooker) until soft, then mash until smooth.

2. In another pan cook the peeled shallots, tomato wedges, diced aubergine and the moringa pods cut into 6 cm pieces in the remaining water for 10 minutes.

3. Add the tamarind paste, sambar powder and salt and cook for another 8 minutes until the vegetables are soft but still whole.

4. Stir in the cooked dal and simmer over low heat for 5 minutes; if it is too thick, thin with a little water: sambar should be thick but pourable.

5. For the tadka heat the oil, add the mustard seeds and, when they pop, add the dried chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida, then pour over the sambar.

6. Serve with rice, idli or dosa.

Tip: Sambar is the everyday staple of South India, and every family has its own sambar powder blend. Moringa pods (drumsticks) are eaten by sucking out the soft inside and leaving the fibrous skin. If you can't find moringa, use green beans instead.