Best Homemade South Indian Sambar Recipe
ByAnshu-April 11, 2020
A hearty stew made with yellow lentils, vegetables and heaps of aromatic spice powder, Sambar is a staple served with all the meals at every South Indian household. The flavorful lentil curry tempered with aromatic curry leaves, mustard seeds and whole dried red chilies makes for a delectable accompaniment whether having hot idlis, vada, dosa or even plain steamed rice.
It won't be incorrect to say that while sambar is majorly known for its tongue-tickling taste, it is also packed with a lot of health benefits; toor dal lends it that much needed dosage of protein, the vegetables provide it with all the essential vitamins and minerals and lastly, addition of hing and tamarind loads it with immune-boosting properties.
Having said that, every household has its own recipe of making sambar. Some like it to have thick, others a bit runny. Some like the chunkiness of vegetables whereas others like their sambar to be smooth. Some like it on a tangier side, others with just a hint or tartness. Whatever way you like your sambar, you will get the best of the taste only when using the freshly ground sambar masala powder. Don't be intimidated as I say this. Though the thought of grounding homemade masala may sound a lot of work, trust me, its the only key to getting the most flavorful sambar, so, don't shy away from doing a bit of hard work.
In the recipe below, I have also included the details for making the fresh ground homemade SAMBAR MASALA POWDER. Do take a look!!
 |
| Best Homemade South Indian Sambar Recipe |
INGREDIENTS
- Toor Dal/Tuvar Dal - 1 cup
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
- Kashmiri red chili powder - 1 to 2 tsp
- Salt - as per taste
- Peeled and cubed yellow pumpkin - 1 cup
- Thickly sliced carrots - 1/2 cup
- Sliced onions, preferably shallots or Madras onions - 1/4 cup
- Drumsticks - 1 to 2, cut into 1 inch pieces
- Finely chopped tomatoes - 1 cup
- Sambar masala (recipe given below) - 2 To 3 tbsp
- Jaggery - 1 tsp
- A lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup of warm water
- Oil - 2 tbsp
P.S - Please feel free to use any vegetables of your choice; eggplants, okra, radish also go well in sambar and are preferably added in South Indian households.
SAMBAR MASALA POWDER
- Whole dhaniya seeds - 1 tbsp
- Methi seeds - 2 tsp
- Jeera/cumin - 2 tsp
- Black pepper corns - 1/4 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
- Chana dal - 1/2 tbsp
- Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
- Curry leaves - 10 to 12
- Hing - 1/4 tsp
- Whole dry red chilies - 3 to 4
FOR TEMPERING
- Ghee/oil - 1/2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Whole dried red chilies - 2 to 3
- Curry leaves - 10 to 12
- Hing - 1/4 tsp
 |
| Best Homemade South Indian Sambar Recipe |
ALSO CHECK OUT
- SOUTH INDIAN STYLE FARALI DAHI VADA
- SOUTH INDIAN RICE IDLI
- INSTANT CRISPY SPROUTED MOONG DAL DOSA
 |
| Best Homemade South Indian Sambar Recipe |
METHOD
- Start by grinding the sambar masala.
- In a pan, dry roast chana and urad dal on low heat until light golden and aromatic. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan, roast dhaniya, jeera, mustard seeds, methi seeds and black pepper corns, again on low heat. Once you start getting the aroma of the roasted spices, add red chilies and curry leaves. Dry roast them too until crisp. Transfer them too to the plate containing roasted dals.
- Let the spices cool down then grind to a fine powder. Mix in hing and keep aside for later use.
- Wash the dal and pressure cook it along with 3 cups of water, turmeric powder and salt for 3 to 4 whistles.
- Let the pressure release, then whisk the dal to smoothen.
- In a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil. Once it is heated, add mustard seeds. As they splutter, add sliced onions and saute until translucent.
- Next add cubed yellow pumpkin, carrots and drumsticks. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Season with salt, red chili powder and sambar masala.
- Give a nice mix.
- Add chopped tomatoes. Saute for a minute or two. Cover and cook on medium heat until oil starts separating.
- Now add the mashed dal in the vegetables. At this stage you can also add a little water to adjust the consistency of the sambar.
- Squeeze out pulp from tamarind and mix in the sambar. Add the jaggery too.
- Cover and cook the sambar for 10 to 12 minutes or until oil floats on top.
- Give the sambar a nice mix.
- In a tadka pan, add some ghee. Once the ghee gets hot, add mustard seeds, dried red chilies and curry leaves. As the mustard seeds splutter, turn the flame off. Add in hing and pour the tadka over sambar. Serve hot with idli, vada, dosa or steamed rice.
 |
| Best Homemade South Indian Sambar Recipe |
CAN'T MAKE NOW? PIN HERE FOR LATER REFERENCE...
how to make sambarSambar recipeSouth Indian RecipesVegetarian Curries of India
Comments
Post a Comment
Thanks for stopping by. Your comments, suggestions and feedback are always welcome.
Regards
Popular posts from this blog
Instant Moong Dal Idli Recipe | How to Make Instant Moong Dal Idli
ByAnshu-July 06, 2020
Idli is one of the healthiest Indian breakfast options by far. These soft, pillowy and melt-in-mouth lentil cakes are traditionally made by fermenting rice and urad dal batter overnight; however, the entire process could be quite cumbersome and involves a little amount of planning ahead. Therefore, instant versions of idlis come very handy when you want to have something quick and yet wholesome and healthy in the breakfast . And especially when it comes to me, I am a big fan of instant recipes, be it instant sprouted moong dal dosa , instant rava & oats idli or instant dhokla , you would find me making these items very frequently as they are not only very quick to make and save you a hell lot of time in the kitchen but, at the same time are quite tasty as well as wholesome. Moong Dal Idli Recipe | How to Make Moong Dal Idli Talking about the instant moong dal idli , as I said it is a very quick and easy recipe and doesn't require an
Read more
Burani Raita Recipe | Spiced, Garlic Flavored Yogurt
ByAnshu-June 11, 2020
Burani Raita is a famous Indian accompaniment to spicy biryanis and pulaos. A Hyderabadi specialty, it uses some thick yogurt that is mixed with few pounded cloves of garlic and some basic spice powders like red chili and roasted cumin, which lend it that much-needed hint of spicy kick. Not to mention, when it comes to making the Burani Raita, it is no more than a five minutes process and makes for an ideal side dish to go along with any kind of rice preparation or even chapati & sabzi combination. Ideally, this utterly flavorful and aromatic raita only has to it, some pounded raw garlic, however, I have given it a slight twist by topping it with some fried garlic bits and some red chili oil for extra flavoring. This step is totally optional and you can skip it altogether by sticking to the traditional way of making it. So, not wasting any time further, lets move on to the recipe.... Burani Raita Recipe | Garlic Flavored Spiced Yogurt INGREDIENTS Thick y
Read more
Perfect Instant Homemade Bhatura Recipe | How to Make Bhatura
ByAnshu-May 15, 2020
Bhatura is a leavened, puffed deep fried bread made from Maida or All Purpose Flour. A popular recipe from the Punjabi cuisine, it is mainly served with spiced chickpea curry such as Pindi Chholey and Amritsari Chholey . Traditionally, bhatura is made using fermented dough, which is rested for minimum of 6 hours and has a peculiar tang to it. However, when you are short of time and crave for this delicious Chole Bhatura combo, these instant bhaturas come to your rescue. Quick and easy to prepare, they use Eno Fruit Salt as the leavening agent and trust me, that lends the bhaturas with that perfect crispness on outside and perfect fluffiness on the inside. If you can't lay your hands on eno, alternatively, you also have the option to use baking powder and baking soda. Without wasting any time further, let's start with the recipe. Perfect Instant Bhatura Recipe | How to Make Bhatura INGREDIENTS Maida/All Purpose Flour - 2 cups Sooji/Semolina - 2 tbsp
Read more
Punjabi Kathal ki Sabzi | North Indian Dry Unripe Jackfruit Curry
ByAnshu-July 03, 2019
Kathal , also known as Jackfruit is one of my favorite vegetables that can be found in Indian markets around July-August for a short period. The fibrous fruit with its shredded meaty texture makes for an apt substitute for non-vegetarians and you would be surprised to know kathal is often used for mock meat dishes in South East Asian countries. While this beautiful vegetable/fruit is quite delicious, there is only one negative factor to it; it's hard skin and an itchy sticky liquid that oozes out of it that makes cutting jackfruit a messy and difficult task. However, having said so, I'll share a foolproof trick to ease out the cutting process; just grease your hands and knife with generous quantity of mustard oil while skinning and cutting this fruit. Applying mustard oil will ensure you don't face any itchiness, thus, making the whole process a piece of cake. These days, already skinned and chopped jackfruit pieces are also available in the vegetable markets.
Read more
Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma | Cottage Cheese in Coriander-Ginger Flavored Yogurt Sauce
ByAnshu-August 13, 2017
Loaded with goodness of ginger and coriander, "Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma" is simply a gastronomic treat for all paneer lovers. This simple yet exotic delicacy can be made in just a few minutes and definitely counts amongst few special recipes that can be served in dinner parties, get-togethers or festive meals. Needless to say, kids love it because of mild spices and a rich texture. A keeper recipe for sure, do try my version of it once and I promise, you would not be disappointed. Paneer Dhaniya Adraki Korma Ingredients Paneer (Cottage Cheese, cubed) - 250 grams Thick curd/yogurt (nicely whisked) - 1 cup Fresh cream - 1 tbsp Coriander paste - 1 tbsp Ginger paste - 1 to 2 tsp Refined flour - 1 tsp Chopped coriander - a handful Green chilies (chopped) - 1 tsp Salt - as per taste Black pepper corns - 3 to 4 Cloves - 2 to 3 Bay leaf - 1 Cumin seeds - 1 tsp Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp Garam masala po
Read more
Dhaba Style Besan ki Phulki wali Kadhi
ByAnshu-May 19, 2020
Kadhi is a popular delicacy from the Indian cuisine that is made using gram flour and yogurt as a base. Having said that, the recipe of this luscious and beautiful curry differs from region to region and from every household to household. Coming from the Punjabi family, for us, Kadhi Pakoda has always meant a sour and spicy kadhi, which essentially has the soft onion or palak/spinach fritters dunked into the luscious gramflour-yogurt gravy. And I guess, most of the Punjabi households make the kadhi in a similar manner... However, if you have ever had kadhi at a dhaba or a street-side restaurant, you would have noticed that the pakodas added in the kadhi doesn't make use of onions, spinach or any other vegetable. The pakodas are more like phulkis (plain and soft gramflour dumplings), which are spiced with just a handful of spices and some ginger for the rustic flavor. Despite of that the kadhi is simply delectable and the spicy tadka with whole lots of crushed dhaniya seeds ma
Read more
