Idli
Ingredients:
3 cups parboiled rice (washed and soaked overnight)
1 cup urad dal (washed and soaked overnight)
1/2 tsp methi/ fenugreek seeds(Optional,soaked with dal)
salt to taste
Method: Remove the water from dal and rice. Grind dal to a very fine paste. Grind rice till fine grains are lefts.Use little water when necessary. Mix both rice and dal together after grinding. Add salt and beat well. Again add a little water if necessary. The batter should be fairly thick. To make idlies, do not beat the batter again. Heat water in idli cooker, spoon batter onto an idli stand and place stand in. Steam for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the stand from cooker, let stand for 5 minutes to cool. Idlis will come out clean. Serve hot with sambar.

sambar
Ingredients:
1/2 lime sized ball tamarind
1 cup toor dal/ red lentils
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
5 small dry red chilies
8 curry Leaves
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida/ hing
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 large tomato
2 tbsp sambar powder
1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves/ coriander leaves
1 cup of chopped vegetable like green beans, carrots, eggplant/ brinjal,opo squash/ bottle gourd

Method: Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for 20 minutes. Squeeze it out, to prepare 1 cup of juice. Wash and clean the dal. In pressure cooker add 2 cups of water,washed dal, turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon of oil.Cook till it is done.Then mash it coarsely.In a separate pan, heat to medium and pour in the remaining oil. Once the oil is hot, add the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the onion and brown lightly. Add tomatoes and sambar powder Add the tamarind extract and let boil lightly until the onions and tomatoes are cooked. Add the mixture of dal with asafoetida,vegetable of choice. Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the heat. Garnish with cilantro.