I can’t seem to get off soup: must be the weather—gray, drippy, and cold. Soup—does a body good. Anyways, here another. This time we travel to the south of India with a recipe for sambar from J., a former 501 resident. J. grew up in Calcutta in a middle-class family with two working parents and five siblings. As the oldest son, he was marked for college and enrolled in Stanford as a math major. He loved living in California, couldn’t get enough of the beaches, the girls, and the movies.

After graduation, he took a job at a Seattle software company. When the company opened an office in Tacoma, he moved and rented one of the units in our condominium. He made plenty of money (most of which he sent home), had an American girlfriend whose parents were born in India, and looked forward to an American life complete with wife, children, and real estate.

He hadn’t, however, counted on being consistently homesick. He missed his mother, he missed Calcutta, he missed hot weather, and most of all, he missed being part of an extended family community. “I could walk out of my bedroom and be part of the family—part of my sister’s family, part of my uncle’s family, part of my parent’s family.

Jay and I visited often, talking about Indian food, his mother’s recipes, Calcutta, and his nieces. He went home every six months to visit and to renew his visa, but it wasn’t enough. One day he stopped by, with a long face and a sad story. The Cliff Note version: girlfriend could not imagine ever living in India, was lukewarm about even six months there, and instead looked ahead to an American life in an American city in an American house, with an American husband. Jay misssed his old life to much to give it up, so he moved back to Calcutta. Before he left, he gave me his mother's recipe for sambar and idlis (disc-shaped semolina pattys, similar to flat matzo balls.

• 2 Tbs. oil
• 1 tsp. black mustard seeds
• 1 cup regular uncooked cream of wheat
• 3 Tbs. ground coconut
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 to 2 chilies, minced
• 1 ½ cup plain yogurt

Heat 2 Tbs. oil in skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, put in mustard seeds. When seeds pop, turn heat to medium-low and put in cream of wheat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes—do not brown. Remove skillet from fire. Add coconut, salt, and chilies. Mix and cool slightly. Add yogurt—you should have a thick batter.

Place idli molds over boiling water and steam for 20 minutes.

Sambar

Sambar powder

• 1 part coriander seeds
• ½ part cumin seeds
• ½ part mustard seeds
• ½ part fenugreek seeds
• 3 cloves
• ¼ part black peppercorns
• 1/8 part red chile flakes
• ½ roll whole cinnamon
• ¼ cup ground coconut

Roast above ingredients in skillet over medium heat until seeds release aroma. Let cool slightly, grind in spice grinder

Sambar

• ½ cup red lentils
• 2 cups stock or water
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 tablespoon oil
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• ½ teaspoon red chili flakes
• 2 tablespoons sambar powder
• ½ onion, fine dice
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1/8 cabbage, diced
• ¼ head cauliflower, cut in small florets
• ½ can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Wash lentils and bring 2 cups stock/water to a boil. Add lentils, turmeric, oil, and salt. Turn heat down to simmer, and cook until lentils are soft 45-60 minutes. Add ½ cup coconut milk, cook 10 more minutes.

Sauté, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, sambar powder in 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt until garlic is transparent and soft. Add onions, carrots, cabbage, zucchini, and cauliflower. Add tomato sauce, cook 10 minutes. Add chicken stock and tamarind, simmer for 15 minutes.

Add cooked lentils, simmer 15 minutes.

Place small scoop cooked rice and several idlis in the bottom of a soup bowl. Ladle sambar over them. Serve with yogurt and chopped cilantro.

To get us into the mood, here are a few photos from India, taken by my friend Patty.