My sambar recipe (adapted from many different sambar recipes)

Sambar:
 Ingredients:
Potatoes 3 or 4 cut into medium sized pieces
vegetables (okra, beans, carrots, eggplant and onions) cut up into medium sized pieces
several cloves of garlic (I love garlic so tend to be quite heavy handed when adding garlic)
1 cup toor dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbls tamarind paste 
2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
salt to taste
Few red chillies 
1 tsp Sambar powder
Oil/ghee
 

1. To 1 cup dal add at least 3 cups water and boil till the dal is soft (you may need to keep topping water up) 
2. Fry okra and eggplant lightly and add to dal along with all the other vegetables
3. When the veggies have softened add tamarind paste.
4. 4. Fry mustard seeds till they sputter then add red chillies,  fenugreek seeds, and 1 tsp sambar powder. Add to the dal.

Sambar powder:
Ingredients:
10 dry red chillies
2 tbsp coriander seeds
1/3 tsp  whole black pepper
1/4 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
1/2 tsp umin seeds 
3 tsp channa dal
1 tsp oil
 

1. Heat the oil in a kadai and add the coriander seeds. 
2. Lightly roast on low flame until it begins to change colour to a darker brown. 
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and roast by stirring continuously. 
4. Keep flame on low and take care not to burn it. 
5. When the mixture turns fragrant and the coriander seeds are nicely browned, remove from fire and transfer to a dry plate. 
6. Cool completely and grind.