Knitting and Kolmbo (sambar)

Professional Development Day or Teacher's Work Day tend to turn into daytime nightmares for me. And it seems like the school district knows this and revels in the fact and therefore keeps dishing them out for free every couple of weeks. There was one on Feb 17th and then before I knew it another one hit me squarely between the eyes this past Friday. When the child in question is grounded, it's pure hell. It means no-one can come over; worse still, she can't go anywhere either. So out come all the kids activities and this last Friday, the knitting wheel was pulled out. It might have been a breeze if the packaging had not been hastily ripped apart and discarded and the instructions for weaving a hat were not lost.

My daughter got into weaving when she weaved potholders when we drove across the country a couple of times during our move from Chicagoland to Louisville, Colorado. Then she moved onto knitting tubular scarves using a small 4-peg wheel.

She did a pretty good job and her tension was quite consistent for one so young. This large knitting wheel, however, posed a problem. It's used to make hats and while I could start her on the project, I had no clue how to cast off stitches to taper the hat as it grew. I Googled for instructions but to no avail. Then I remembered that my friend frangipani is an avid knitter. But unfortunately, she's so skilled at crochet and knitting that she doesn't need the crutch of a knitting wheel.

I finally found a site that has some semblance of instructions on how to make a hat. But we're working overtime and through the weekend to beat a deadline that it looks like this will have to be the project for the next time that Boulder Valley School District decides to give the kids a break from school. I am hoping to get some of my own knitting done. Like this pink scarf I have been knitting for the last 5 years!

My husband returned from a long 4-week stay in India that seemed like an eternity and we welcomed him with the traditional welcome meal: idli-sambar. Except that this time, I thought I'd try a different type of sambar: Shilpa's Kolmbo, a Konkani sambar made with coconut. It was a great hit, even with my daughter who generally steers away from anything with coconut in it. I adapted the kolmbo to our tastes and, to the die-hard purists, it may not be the way Konkani folks make it but we loved it.

Kolmbo

Spicy Konkani Sambar with coconut

• 1 cup tur dal
• 1/4 packet frozen grated coconut
• 2 tsp chana dal^**optional
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds
• pinch asafoetida
• 7-8 fresh curry leaves or kadipatta
• 1/2 roll of cinnamon
• 6 cloves
• 6 Kashmiri red chillies
• 1/2 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 tsp tamarind concentrate^**optional
• 3 tsp oil
• few sprigs of cilantro
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder

1. Cook the tur dal in a pressure cooker. General rule of thumb is to add 3 times as much water as there is dal and pressure cook for at least 4 whistles (pressure releases).
2. On a griddle or small frying pan, heat 1 tsp oil and fry the coconut, chana dal, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, methi seeds, asafoetida, half the kadipatta, cinnamon, cloves and the red chillies. Fry while constantly stirring over medium heat
3. Allow this mixture to cool and grind in a blender to a fine paste using about 1/2 cup (or less) of water. For quick cooling, drop a couple of ice cubes onto the pan and use less water while grinding into a paste.
4. Put the cooked tur dal in a pot, add the frozen veggies, tamarind concentrate and the masala paste from the previous step and salt to taste. Add water to make the kolmbo less thick. About 1 cup is adequate. Use more or less depending on how thick or watery you like your sambar. Cook over medium-high heat until the veggies are cooked.
5. Just before serving the kolmbo, heat 1 tsp oil in a small fry pan or tadka/phodni pan and add mustard seeds. When they crackle and splutter, add the remaining kadipatta to the oil
6. Add this tempered oil to the kolmbo, garnish with cilantro and serve hot with idlis or rice

I served it with idlis. This is the second time I am making idlis here in Colorado and it just doesn't seem to be working. The first time I did exactly what I used to do in Chicagoland but the batter just did not ferment. I've made the most fluffy and spongy idlis in the middle of a Chicago winter without any problems. I was known for the idlis I made. But suddenly, none of the old tricks work anymore. Some of the factors that are probably coming into play could be the altitude (Louisville is about 5200ft above sea-level whereas Chicago is at sea-level) and the extremely dry weather here. But, persevere I will!