Pindi Miriyam Recipe Andhra Style Vegetable Stew Cookshideout

My entire family loves sambar. So, I try to make a different recipe every week. Today’s recipe is Andhra version of South Indian sambar. This is a very traditional dish that has been around from many generations. It is a hearty and comforting stew that reminds me of my grandmother. She used to make something similar and of course, the recipe was never written anywhere. So, I did the next best thing and used the recipe from ‘Cooking with Pedatha‘ cookbook. This is one of those forgotten recipes that is sure to please a crowd with its humble presence.

Andhra Style Sambar

Sambar is a South Indian stew that is spicy, tangy and delicious. It is generally made with a combination of lentils, vegetables, tamarind and a spice powder or paste. Each state in South India has its own version of sambar. This Andhra style sambar uses a freshly ground spice paste that is flavored with peppercorns and other spices. ‘Miriyam’ means peppercorns in Telugu, so this sambar has a nice kick from them. This is a No tomato sambar recipe. The tanginess comes from the tamarind paste and the thickness from the ground spice paste.

Ingredients:

There are 3 components for this stew:

Spice paste:peppercorns (miriyalu) split black lentils (urad dal/ minapappu)cumin seeds (jeelakarra)coriander seeds (dhaniyalu)dry red chilies (endu mirapakayalu)grated coconut - I always have frozen grated coconut on hand to use in recipes.Lentils/ Dal & Vegetables:toor dal - traditionally toor dal is used, but I have made this recipe with masoor dal aka red lentils and it works beautifully.vegetables - any combination of the below veggies can be used in the recipe:drumstickseggplantbottle gourdraw bananagreen beanscluster beansOther flavoring ingredients:tamarind pastetempering ingredients - mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafetidafresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

Start the recipe by making the spice paste:

Roast the lentils and spices in oil until golden, and aromatic. Add the coconut and cook until its browned. Let this mixture cool and grind to a smooth paste, adding just a little water.

Next step is to cook dal/ lentils:

Pressure cooker/ Instant pot is the fastest way to cook lentils. For ½ cup of lentils, add 1½ cups of water and pressure cook for 3-5 whistles. Or on high pressure/ manual for 8 minutes.If cooking on the stove top, combine lentils with 2½ cups of water in a heavy-bottom saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to simmer, cover and cook till the lentils are very soft, about 30-40 minutes.

Prep the vegetables:

Combine the vegetables with enough water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer till the veggies are tender. Remove the veggies into a bowl along with the cooking liquid.Alternately veggies can be cooked in a microwave or steamed until tender.

Make Pindi miriyam:

Once you have all the above components ready, it is time to put the dish together. In the same saucepan, that you cooked the veggies in, heat oil and add tempering ingredients. As soon as the seeds stop spluttering, add the spice paste and cook for 3-4 minutes. Next add the cooked vegetables, tamarind paste, cilantro and simmer for about 5 minutes.Finally add the cooked dal and simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice and a vegetable curry.

Serving Suggestions:

For an extra layer of deliciousness, stir in 2 tablespoons of ghee into the stew just before turning off the heat. Pindi Miriyam tastes best when served warm with steamed rice and a dry side dish like potato or okra or arbi fry. My family will be over the moon if I fry some papad with this meal, so if you have those fry some up. Leftovers taste even better the next day. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Warm before serving.