• In a vessel add moong dal and toor dal.
• Wash it twice and add sufficient water.
• Add ½ tsp turmeric powder, one hand full of pealed small onions and 2 pinches of asafoetida to this.
• Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
• Keep it aside.
• In a pan dry roast the coriander seeds, chana dal, red chili, pepper and cumin seeds.
• Just roast for 1-2 minutes, till it gets nice heat. No need to roast till golden brown.
• Turn off the stove and grind this into a fine powder, when it is still warm.
• Keep this aside.

Let’s make sambar now.

• Soak tamarind in hot water and take 1 and ¼ cup tamarind extract.
• In a pan add oil and add the mustard seeds and 2 pinches of asafoetida.
• When the mustard splutters add the remaining small onions.
• Saute till it becomes pink.
• Now add the finely chopped tomatoes.
• Saute till the tomatoes become mushy.
• Add the tamarind water to this and add ½ tsp turmeric powder, sambar powder and salt.
• Let this boil for 7-8 minutes.
• Now add the cooked dal mixture to this and add water (1 cup approximately) to adjust the consistency of the sambar.
• Now add the freshly ground masala. We are adding 2-2.5 tbsp of the fresh masala.
• Mix it well without any lumps.
• Let this boil for 2-3 minutes.
• Switch off the stove and add finely chopped coriander leaves and1 tsp of ghee.
• Adding ghee in the last gives a nice aroma to the sambar.
• Restaurant sambar is ready.
• Make mini idlis and keep it ready.
• Arrange few mini idlis in a plate, add hot sambar on the top.
• Garnish with finely chopped onions and coriander leaves.
• Drizzle ½ tsp of ghee on the top.
• Restaurant style mini idli sambar is ready. Serve hot.