Sambhar is an everyday curry, eaten in slight variations across the Southern coast at almost any meal. It is served with steamed, fluffy saucer-shaped rice and lentil cakes – idlis – or crispy masala dosa, and a coconut chutney. When in India, my family regularly visited a temple about four hours’ drive from Chennai, at the top of a range of hills. It is customary to walk from the base of the hills to the temple, which takes three hours, and the whole way you see people chatting, laughing, chanting, and full of hope and expectations. The temple has an amazing energy and you always leave elated. After the walk, we went for a meal in the local restaurant, Mayur, where dosa, idli, sambhar and coconut chutney were the order of the day. I love this so much that I often make it and eat simply with brown rice and coconut chutney.