Yellow pumpkin sambar for Idly

Peel the onions and slit the green chillies. Remove the pumpkin skin and cube them. Wash and soak the toor dal for 20 minutes. Soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes and extract the juice.

Take a pressure cooker and add the toor dal, onions, slit green chillies, tomatoes, 2 cups water. Next add the turmeric powder and asafoetdia powder or asafoetdia water. Mix them well and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. 

In the meantime, prepare the sambar powder. Heat a pan and add the chana dal. When it turns light golden brown add the coriander seeds and fry them till it turns brown and add the jeera, red chillies and coconut. Fry them well until the coconut gratings turns brown. 

Allow them to cool down and powder them well. Combine the sambar powder with just enough water to form a thick paste. 

Open the cooker and gently mash the dal and pumpkin with the ladle. Then add the tamarind extract 

Next add required salt and keep on low flame for few minutes.

Then add the sambar powder paste to the dal and some more water. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes until everything soft. If it gets too thick as its cooking add a little water. 

When the sambar boils well add a tsp of jaggery and allow it to boil for few minutes. 

Finally, add the coriander leaves and curry leaves and switch off the flame.

Heat a tsp of oil in a small pan and add the mustard and urid dal. Allow them to crackle and add the red chilly. Add it to the hot sambar and mix them well. Close it with a lid for few minutes before serving.