Prep all ingredients: chop onions, dice radish, and wash drumstick leaves.

Combine tamarind water, onion, radish, drumstick leaves, salt, and sambar powder in a pressure cooker.

Add 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. Immediately release pressure to prevent overcooking the drumstick leaves.

In a separate pressure cooker, combine toor dal, 2-1/2 cups of water, and turmeric powder.

Pressure cook the toor dal for 2 whistles, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 4-5 minutes.

Allow the pressure to release naturally.

Mash the cooked toor dal well using a potato masher.

Add the mashed dal to the drumstick leaves sambar mixture and stir well.

Check the salt and adjust to taste.

Heat ghee in a tadka pan over medium heat.

Add mustard seeds and allow them to crackle.

Add asafoetida and curry leaves, then turn off the heat.

Pour the tempering over the sambar and bring to a brisk boil for a few minutes.

Turn off the heat and transfer the sambar to a serving bowl.

Serve hot with steamed rice and side dishes.