Step 1

Start out by cooking ¾ cup of mung lentils. This is easiest in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot, but you can also do this on the stovetop. To cook on the stovetop, add ½ tsp of turmeric to the lentils, cover with 2 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and continue cooking another 20 minutes or until the lentils are very tender and mushy.

Step 2

Chop 5 medium green tomatoes into a dice of about half an inch.

Step 3

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds and when they start to sputter, add 1 tsp of the blackgram or urad dal, if using, a pinch of asafetida, if using, and ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, if using. If you’re not using the last three ingredients, just skip ahead and add the curry leaves next, saute them for a few seconds, then add the green tomatoes.

Step 4

Stir everything well to mix, then turn the heat to medium-low, cover the saucepan and let the tomatoes cook about 5-10 minutes until they’re soft.

Step 5

Add the cooked lentils or dal along with any remaining cooking water, add 1 tbsp of sambar powder and salt. Taste and add more sambar powder if needed -- I like about 2 tbsp in mine, but storebought brands vary widely from each other and from homemade versions.

Step 6

Mix everything well and let the dal come to a boil. Add water at any stage if it starts to look too thick. When you add water, always check to see if you need more salt.

Step 7

Let the dal continue to boil on low heat for another five minutes, then turn off the heat and add the cilantro.