Sambar Recipe (South Indian Vegetable Stew)

Ingredients

• ½ cups toor dal (yellow pigeon peas), rinsed, soaked 30 minutes, and drained
• ½ cups coconut or canola oil
• 8 cloves garlic, mashed into a paste
• 1 small red onion, cut into 1" pieces
• 1 (2") piece ginger, peeled and mashed into a paste
• 4 small green Thai chiles or 2 serranos, chopped
• 2 drumsticks, trimmed and cut into 2" pieces
• 2 medium carrots, quartered lengthwise and cut into 2" pieces
• 2 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
• ½ cups sambar masala
• 3 tbsp. fresh or frozen grated coconut
• 3 tbsp. tamarind paste
• 1 tbsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. ground turmeric
• 10 small okra, trimmed and halved crosswise
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 2 tsp. black mustard seeds
• 10 fresh or frozen curry leaves
• 5 chiles de árbol
• ¼ cups cilantro leaves
• Cooked white rice, for serving (optional)