A small variation in the preparation of a spice powder can make much difference in the taste / flavor of curries. In Fried Sambar i use kuzhambhu powder  ,i fry the  powder in the oil first instead of adding the  powder in the last as we do in the conventional Sambar. Fried  kuzhambhu powder  gives a different taste to the curry.  I hope you and your family will like this sambar.
You can also use sambar powder,I use this kuzhambhu powder for all types of kuzhambhu including sambar.I used Dried Turkey Berry in this recipe.

About Turkey Berry:

Solanum torvum (Turkey Berry), is a bushy, erect and spiny perennial plant used horticulturally as a rootstock for eggplant. Grafted plants are very vigorous and tolerate diseases affecting the root system, thus allowing the crop to continue for a second year.
It is also known as Devil's Fig, Prickly Nightshade, Shoo-shoo Bush, Wild Eggplant, Pea Eggplant, Pea Aubergine, Susumber (in Jamaica), boo, terongan, tekokak, berenjena cimarrona, berenjena de gallina, berenjena silvestre, tabacón, pendejera, tomatillo, bâtard balengène, zamorette, friega-platos, sundaikkai (Tamil: சுண்டைக்காய்), Thibbatu (Sinhala), makhua phuang (Thai: มะเขือพวง), and many other names (Howard 1989, Little and others 1974, Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk 2001).
The green fresh fruits are edible and used in Thai cuisine, being one of the essential elements of the Thai green curry.They are also used in Lao cuisine (Royal Horticultural Society 2001) and Jamaican cuisine.The fruits are incorporated into soups and sauces in the Côte d'Ivoire (Herzog and Gautier-Béguin 2001).
In Tamil Nadu, India, the fruit is consumed directly, or as cooked food like Sundaikkai Sambar, Sundaikkai Poriyal, Sundaikkai Aviyal & Sundaikkai Pulikulambu. After soaking in curd and drying, the final product is fried in oil as Sundaikkai vattral (available in all Tamil Nadu supermarkets), it is famous all around in Tamil Nadu. In siddha medicine on of the traditional systems of India Sundaivattral Choornam is used to improve digestion.

Ingredients:

Thuvar dal - 1/3 cup
Kuzhambhu Powder - 1 tbsp
Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp
Manathakkali Vathal / Turkey Berry/Sundaikai Vathal - 1 tbsp
Tamarind - 1 tsp / If using whole 1 Gooseberry Size mixed with 1/4 cup of water.
Salt
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing Powder - a pinch

Method:

1.Take a pressure cooker and add dal,turmeric pd and hing and add 1 cup of water and cook dal for 5 whistles.

 2.Let steam release on its own and then open the cooker.
 3.Smash dal and let it disintegrates.
 4.Take a pan and add ghee or oil and fry turkey berry and keep it aside.

 5.In the same oil ,add kuzhambhu powder and fry it for 1 sec ,but dont let it burn,keep 1/2 cup of water ready ,so if u feel the powder is about to burn,just add the water immediatly.

 6.Add Tamarind Paste or Squeezed tamarind water(if using whole) now .
 7.Now keep it in high flame and let it come to boil.
 8.Now add the cooked dal to it.
 9.Then add the turkey berry.Let it come to boil and let the gravy absorbs all salt from dried turkey berry Don't add salt till now because dried turkey berry has lot of salt ,so add after u make taste check.
 10.Add Curry leaf if needed.Do a taste check and add if any salt is needed.
 11.Transfer to a serving dish


 Tips:

1.Instead of using ghee to fry the turkey berry , i like to add it to the kuzhambhu while eating.

2.You can use sambar powder , rasam powder too instead of  kuzhambhu powder.

3.You need to fry the powder but it may burn very quickly ,so be careful and keep a glass of water near u to pour on the powder if it starts to brown.