Sambar, sambhar, Sambhar recipe, south Indian sambar recipe, vegetable sambar recipe is a traditional South Indian style rice accompaniment prepared with a choice of vegetables, lentil, specially prepared sambar masala. The detailed recipe with tips and tricks makes it a great beginner-friendly recipe for South Indian cuisine meals.
WHAT IS SAMBAR?
Sambar is one of the most popular traditional South Indian dishes. A good amount of protein, and vegetables, blended with flavorful sambhar powder - makes it not only healthy & nutritious but also tastes delicious.
WHAT TASTES BEST WITH SAMBHAR?
Sambhar plays a key role in South Indian cuisine. Sambhar goes well with tiffin varieties like idli, dosa, uthappam, etc. It also tastes great with rice, without sambhar their no special thali/ festive/ wedding lunch / Indian lunch combo
SHOULD I ALWAYS SOAK TOOR DAL?
No, it is optional but I feel soaking helps for mushy cooked Dal.
HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD I ADD WHILE COOKING DAL?
It depends on the dal you use. I generally use a 1:3 dal: water ratio. The number of whistles also depends on the dal you use.
WHAT VARIETY OF DAL SHOULD I USE FOR SAMBHAR.
For rice accompaniment sambar I generally use toor dal. For the tiffin variety, I sometimes use moong dal. Restaurants/hotels use a combination of toor dal and masoor dal
Can I SAMBAR POWDER?
Yes, you can use homemade sambhar powder instead of freshly prepared. The amount of sambhar powder might slightly vary based on your spice level. If you want to make it spicy add extra Sambar powder/ Chilli powder. If you are increasing sambhar powder, you might have to increase tamarind accordingly.
HOW TO MAKE INSTANT POT SAMBAR
Use pot in pot method Cook for 9 minutes and let the pressure release naturally. Follow the rest of the steps for the instant pot Sambhar recipe.
SHOULD I ADD THE GHEE TEMPERING?
I generally use sesame oil for tempering and use little ghee while serving. You can use ghee according to your choice
WHAT SHOULD BE THE CONSISTENCY OF THE SAMBHAR?
Some like thin sambar while others prefer it thick. Adjust water according to your preferred texture.
CAN I MAKE ONE POT PRESSURE COOKER SAMBAR OR AN INSTANT POT SAMBAR?
If you cook dal and tamarind together, dal might not turn mushy so I recommend using separators for cooking.
Drumstick fresh or frozen
You can use fresh or frozen drumsticks. Avoid pale green thick drumsticks
KUZHAMBU RECIPES IN TMF
TAMARIND-BASED RECIPES IN TMF
Sambar varieties in TMF
Ingredients
pressure cook dal
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 cup toor dal 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1+1/2 cup water 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
To temper
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds Curry leaves few
To roast and grind
1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/2 + 1 teaspoon coriander seeds 3/4 teaspoon pepper 3 red chilli 1/2 tablespoon chana dal 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds Asafoetida 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1/4 teaspoon urad dal
Pressure-cook tamarind water
25 drumstick pieces (fresh or frozen) 1 +1/2 cup thin tamarind water Required salt 25 small onions 100 grams tomato 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
Murugankkai sambar
little Jaggery coriander leaves few Water Requires salt Chilli powder optional
How to make drumstick sambar with step-by-step pictures
First, wash and soak toor dal for 20 minutes
drain the water. Add turmeric powder, fenugreek seeds, sesame oil, and water
In another separator add tamarind water, small onions, tomatoes, drumsticks, required salt, turmeric powder, and sesame oil
Close with a lid
Pressure cook for 5 whistles and simmer for 2 minutes
Add oil and heat
Furthermore, add coriander seeds, chana dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, pepper, red chilli, and fenugreek seeds; saute till color changes
Add small onions and mix well
Furthermore, add coconut and asafoetida; mix well
turn off the stove and cool Add water and grind
add sesame oil to a wide pan and heat
furthermore, add mustard seeds; splutter
add curry leaves and roast
Add tamarind water and ground mixture; mix well to boil
Furthermore, add water, cooked Dal, coriander leaves, chilli powder, and required salt; mix well
boil for 6 minutes; mix well in between
Furthermore, add water and boil Finally, add coriander leaves and mix well
