Tendli (Ivy Gourd) Sambar

Aromatic, spicy pigeon peas stew with ivy gourd.

Ingredients:
Ivy Gourd/Tindora/Tendli - about 2 cups
Onion - 1 small
Coriander/Cilantro Leaves - few sprigs
Toor Dal/ Split Pigeon Peas - 1/2 cup + 1 tsp
Urad Dal/Split Black Gram - 1 tsp
Coriander Seeds/Dhane - 2 tsp
Fenugreek/Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves/Lavang - 5
Cinnamon/Dalchini - 1/4 inch piece
Black Peppercorns - about 8
Dry Red Chillies - 4
Tamarind/Chinch/Imli - about 1 tsp
Jaggery or Brown Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric/Haldi - 1/4 tsp
Salt

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves/Kadhipata - a sprig
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 1
Oil

Method:
1. Wash 1/2 cup pigeon peas well and cook them till soft.
2. Dice ivy gourd and onion into big cubes.  Finely chop cilantro.
3. Heat about 1 tsp oil in a pan.  Add 1 tsp toor dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon, black peppercorns and 4 red chillies.  Roast all the spices till they slightly darken and turn aromatic.  After cooling, grind all the roasted spices and tamarind to a fine paste.
4. Heat about 1 cup water in a big pot.  Add diced ivy gourd and onions.  When ivy gourd gets cooked, add cooked pigeon peas, ground spice paste, turmeric, jaggery and salt.  Bring it to a boil and continue cooking till you get the desired consistency.  Turn off the heat and add chopped cilantro.

5. Heat about 1 tsp oil for tempering.  Add mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida and a red chilly.  Turn off the heat when mustard seeds pop.  Pour this tempering/tadka in the pot.  Mix and serve with rice or idlis or dosas.