Sambar, also spelled sambhar or sambaar, and pronounced saambaar, is a lentil-based vegetable stew or chowder cooked with a tamarind broth originating from the present-day Tamil Nadu, India. It is popular in South Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines.
Sambar is reflective of a broad and ancient tradition of lentil-based vegetable stews in southern India. In regions that grow coconuts, notably some areas of Kerala, coastal Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Sambar is made with a paste of fresh, grated and roasted coconuts and spices, instead of sambar powder.
In Telangana, it is called as Pappu chaaru. Apart from dal and tamarind, vegetables used in preparing is few. Vegetables are onions, dosakaaya, bitter gourd and tomatoes.
Sambar without lentils (but with vegetables, or dried or fresh fish) is called kuzhambu in Tamil Nadu. Today I am sharing the recipe of sambar masala and sambar. It tastes exactly like the one we enjoy in south Indian restaurants and hotels. Let's get started. 😉
Prep time
10 mins
Cook time
35 mins
Total time
45 mins
Ingredients-
- Tuvar Dal / Split Pigeon Pea - 1/3 cup
For Sambar Masala-
- Ghee/Oil - 1 tbsp
- Fenugreek Seeds- ½ tsp
- Cumin- 1 tbsp
- Uncooked/Raw Rice - 1 tbsp
- Coriander Seeds – 1 tbsp
- Chana Dal – ½ tbsp
- Cloves - 2
- Green Cardamom - 1
- Hing / Asafoetida - ¼ tbsp
- Ginger- 1 inch
- Garlic - 7 to 8
- Coconut - 2 1/2 tbsp
- Curry Leaves - 10 to 15
- Dry Red Chilli Whole- 10 to 12
- Haldi / Turmeric - ½ tsp
- Kashmiri Red Chili Powder – 1 tbsp
- Onion - 1 big (Cut in thin long slices)
- Salt - to taste
For Sambar-
- Ghee/Oil - 2 tbsp
- Green Chili - 2 (Chopped)
- Vegetables of your choice- 1 cup each ( i used bottle gourd/lauki, carrot, Eggplant/Baigan, Carrot, Beans)
- Salt - to taste
- Tamarind Pulp - 2-3 tbsp
- Jaggery - 1 tbsp
For Tempering/Tadka-
- Oil - 1 tbsp
- Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
- Dry Red Chili Whole - 3-4
- Hing/Asafoetida - ¼ tsp
- Curry Leaves - 4-5
- Tomato- 1 cup
Method-
- Wash and rinse tuvar dal. Soak it in 1/2 cup of water for about 30 minutes then rinse. Keep it aside.
- Soak tamarind/imli in 1/2 cup of hot water for 30 minutes and keep it aside.
- Heat 1 big tbsp of Oil/Ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds/Methi dana, Chana dal, rice, coriander seeds/saboot dhaniya, hing, cloves, cardamom/elaichi, cubed coconut, ginger, garlic, 10-15 curry leaves. Stir and saute for about 2 minutes or until above ingredient starts crackling.
- Once done, add 12 dry red Chilli and Saute for about 2 minutes.
- Now add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder, onions, salt and Saute for about 7 to 8 minutes or until the onion is cooked.
- Once done, turn off the flame and let it cool down.
- Once cool, grind the above mixture into a smooth paste by adding little water into it. Sambar masala is ready.
- Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pressure, add 2 chopped green chillies, add chopped vegetables of your choice, tomato, little salt. Saute for about 2 Minutes.
- Now add the sambar masala paste which we prepared in step . Stir and let it saute for 2 Minutes.
- Once done add soaked tuvar dal, 4 cups of water (water will depend on the quantity of dal, if u have taken 1 cup of tuvar dal add water in the multiple of 8).
- Mix it well and bring it to a boil. Once it starts boiling cover the pressure cooker with lid and let it pressure cook for upto 5 whistles on high flame.
- After 5 turn flame to low and let it cook for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes turn off the flame and let the pressure release on its own.
- Once the pressure has been released, open the lid and again switch on the flame and bring it to a boil.
- Once it starts boiling add tamarind water/paste, jaggery/Gudd and mix it well. Once done, switch off the flame.
- For tempering/tadka- heat some ghee/oil in a tadka pan, add mustard seeds/sarso, hing/Asafoetida, dry red chilly and curry leaves. Mix it well.
- Once mustard seeds starts spluttering switch off the flame and add this tempering/tadka to sambar. Mix it well.
- Switch on the flame and bring sambar to a boil.
- Serve with Idli, Dosa, Medu Vada or Rice.
Refrigerating Tips-
- To retain the taste, it is recommended to refrigerate it within two hours of cooking.
- It will stay good for about 2 days. Bring it to a boil whenever needed.
- Fresh tadka for the refrigerated sambar makes it taste fresh.
Notes-
- Do not add tamarind before the veggies are cooked completely.
|
