Recipe column- madras sambar commonly known as arachuvitta sambar

Roast 1 teaspoon of gram dal, 8 red chilies, 1 teaspoon of corriender seeds, 1/4 teaspoon of methi seeds, in little oil.
Add 3 teaspoons of grated coconut to the ingredients above and grind well to a smooth paste in a mixer.
Cook 1 cup of toor dal with your choice of vegetables(carrot, onion, capsicum, pumpkin, chow chow, beans, squash, tomatoes) . Add 1 teaspoon of tarmarind paste and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Add salt and the paste. Mix well in slowflame. Allow it to boil for 3 more minutes and season it with curry leaves, 2 red chilies and mustard seeds in a teaspoon of gingely oil. Garnish with corriender leaves.

Recipe column-Vathal kulambu

Vathal kulambu or vatha kulambu different style:
Soak a big lemon size tarmarind in water or 2 table spoon of tarmarind paste.
Heat 2 table spoon of gingely oil in a kadai and add mustard seeds. Wait till it splutter and add 1 teaspoon of gram dal, 1 teaspoon of toor dal, 1/2 teaspoon of methi seeds or fenugreek, 5 red chilies, a pinch of turmeric and hing powder. Allow it to turn brown, add few curry leaves and 2 teaspoons of sambar powder. Add the tarmarind paste or the extract. Allow it to boil thick. Add salt and a teaspoon of jaggery. When oil gets seperated from the gravy or oil oozes out of the kulambu remove it from flame. Allow it to cool and store it in an air tight container.