Sambar recipe South Indian style is a dal based vegetable stew cooked with tamarind, spices and Sambar powder. This is an easy sambar recipe which you can customize to your taste. Enjoy a steaming bowl of sambar served over hot white rice or as an accompaniment to idli, dosa or vada.
Family elders have always recommended consuming steaming hot sambar as a proven home remedy for various ailments; now research by Manipal University states that the popular South Indian sambar helps prevent colon cancer. According to medical experts, it’s the mixture of spices present in sambar powder that neutralizes the formation of tumours.
Besides, the yellow lentils and mixed vegetables used in sambar preparation have their own unique healthy properties, all of which make sambar a food that fights colon cancer.
Tur Dal Sambar Recipe:
Quick and easy tur dal sambar recipe is a staple item on the menu of most South Indian homes. Toor dal, tur dal or Tuvar dal is split pigeon peas (kandi pappu in Telugu).
Sambar is a very filling dish and is a deliciously healthy way to use up all those leftover veggies in your refrigerator. I always try to incorporate lots of veggies in my cooking.
I have used a mix of vegetables available in my pantry such as brinjal, carrot, onion, tomato and bottle gourd, but you are free to use vegetables of your choice (drumstick, pumpkin, okra, sweet potatoes, radish, capsicum, potato etc.). Each vegetable brings with it its own unique taste and flavour.
I have used store bought MTR sambar powder but you can use any of the available sambar podi brands or even make the sambar masala at home.
While you can serve tomato sambar with almost anything, it is traditionally served with soft fluffy idlis, crisp medu vadas or ghee-roasted masala dosa
Sambar Ingredients For Homemade Sambar:
- For this vegetable sambar recipe, firstly take ¾ cup of tur dal.
- Wash it well and pressure cook the tuvar dal with 2 cups of water and ¼ tsp of turmeric for upto 4-5 whistles on high flame.
- Meanwhile, wash, peel and chop vegetables.
- Once the pressure releases, open the cooker lid. The tur dal should be well cooked.
- Mash the cooked dal well with a ladle till it’s soft and smooth.
- Next, put in the cut vegetables and add about 1 cup water. Close the lid and pressure cook the vegetables for sambar for 1 whistle only.
- (Alternatively, you can also cook the vegetables separately and then add sambar powder, tamarind paste and salt and finally the cooked and mashed dal to it. Either way works good).
- Once the pressure releases, open the lid and stir in the instant sambar powder, salt and tamarind paste. For a touch of sweetness, mix in 1 tablespoon of jaggery (optional).
- Cook the dal for 4-5 minutes on low flame. Stir in-between to keep the dal from sticking to the bottom of the cooker.
- Instead of tamarind paste you can soak a lemon sized ball of tamarind in warm water for 10-15 minutes. Squeeze and extract tamarind juice; discard the solids. Then strain the tamarind water and add to sambar.
- While the sambar is simmering on the stove, heat ghee in a kadai over medium flame to prepare the tempering.
- Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Sauté the sambar tadka for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the tempering to the sambar and bring it to a boil. Simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Turn off the gas. Lastly, garnish the sambar with chopped coriander leaves. Feel free to adjust the consistency and level of spiciness to your liking.
- Serve hot Sambar with idli or vada or just serve over cooked rice.
Sambhar Recipe In Pressure Cooker:
Sambar Recipe For Idli
Ingredients
To cook Sambar dal:
- 3/4 cup Split pigeon peas/Tur Dal
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
- 2 cups Water
To cook vegetables (21/2 cups):
- 4 small Onions, cubed
- 1 small Carrot, cut into wedges
- 1/2 cup Bottle gourd, cubed
- 2 Green chillies, slit
- 1 small Brinjal, cubed
- 1 large Tomato, chopped
- 1 1/2 cup Water
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 2 tsp Tamarind paste
- 2 tsp MTR Sambar powder
- 1/2 tbsp Jaggery, optional
For Tempering:
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 2 sprigs Curry leaves
- 2 Dry red chillies
- 1/8 tsp Asafoetida
- 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/8 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
Instructions
- For this South Indian sambar recipe, add cleaned and washed tur dal, turmeric and 2 cups water to a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.
- Allow the steam to escape; open the lid and mash the cooked yellow lentils with the back of a ladle. Keep aside.
- Wash, peel and cut the vegetables. Add the chopped vegetables and 1 cup of water to the dal, mix well and pressure cook for just one whistle.
- Open the lid and stir in the sambar masala powder, salt and tamarind paste. Mix in jaggery, simmer the sambar on low heat for 4-5 minutes, while stirring occasionally. Adjust the consistency of the sambar to your liking.
- While the sambar is cooking, heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pan over medium flame. Add mustard and cumin seeds. Once they start to splutter, add dry red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves. Sauté for 10-15 seconds.
- Pour the prepared tempering over the cooked dal. Bring to aboil and let it simmer for a couple of minutes till all the sambar ingredients are well incorporated. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve piping hot Toor Dal Sambar South Indian style with idli, vada, dosa or steamed rice.
