Wash arhar dal (toor dal) thoroughly and add it in a pressure cooker along with 4 cups of water along with salt and turmeric powder (haldi).
1 Cup Arhar / Toor Dal (Yellow Flat Daal), 1 Teaspoon Salt, or to Taste, 1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder (Haldi)
Dice the brinjal and add them to the cooker. Stir the mixture properly and pressure cook it till you get 2 whistles (for around 5-6 minutes).
2-3 Small Eggplant / Brinjal (Baigan)
In the meantime you can prepare the tempering. Heat some oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Also add a pinch of heeng.
1 Teaspoon Rai (Black Mustard Seeds), 1 Pinch Heeng (Asafoetida)
Then add the curry leaves & whole dried red chilies and roast them.
7-10 Curry Leaves, 3-4 Whole Dried Red Chillies
Add finely chopped onion and fry it till it becomes soft and turns golden brown in color.
1 Small Onion
Also add finely chopped tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes are cooked and soft.
2 Medium Sized Tomatoes
Add sambar powder and red chili powder.
2 Tablespoons Sambar Masala, 1/2 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
Mix the tamarind paste in water to remove the knots and add it to the tempering.
1 Tablespoon Tamarind Paste
Mix and cook the tempering for a couple of minutes till the gravy is nicely roasted and starts to leave oil on the sides.
When the onion tomato masala is cooked add the boiled dal & brinjals to the gravy.
Add around 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency. Mix all the ingredients well and let the sambar boil for 3-4 minutes.
Brinjal sambar is ready. Serve hot with rice, idli or dosa.