Sambar Recipe, How to Make Sambar Recipe with Vegetables
Sambar Recipe is considered as a traditional vegetable stew of South India which is made with yellow lentil, tamarind extract, and vegetables. It goes well with white rice.
Making this recipe with Vegetables is very famous in Udupi restaurants as it is served with idli, dosas, Vada and other breakfast items.
In this recipe, I have used Sambar powder (In my previous post I have explained how to make this powder), to enhance its flavor and aroma.
My parents used to serve this recipe with both breakfast recipes and for lunch with steamed rice at least once in a week. As we use different vegetables and yellow lentils this is considered to provide whole nutrition required to our body.
TIPS to make delicious Sambar Recipe:
- Adding little oil while cooking dal will make it soft and gets cooked in less time.
- When you have small onions with you, it’s a good idea to add them. If not add small pieces of onions.
- Pressure cook toor dal separately by adding adequate water so that it can be cooked to mushy which gives a rich flavor.
- To obtain tangling flavor, we should not just depend on tomatoes or tamarind. They should contribute their flavor on an equal basis and should not dominate.
- Drumsticks and ladies fingers should be added base on their tenderness if not they become mushy.
- Carrots and jaggery give sweetness so they should be added in small quantity.
- Jaggery not only gives sweet taste but also compensates tangling flavor.
- When making temper, it’s a good idea to make using ghee as it gives a rich flavor.
- Adding sambar powder will make this recipe thick concentration. People who love watery flavor can adjust powder.
- When sambar powder is added to water and poured into the recipe, it helps in not forming lumps.
- Tamarind extract should always be added only when vegetables are half cooked or else sour taste will increase cooking time.
- When adding different vegetables they tend to absorb salt and sourness so adjust both of them.
- If in case this recipe becomes salty we can lower saltiness by adding sliced potatoes.
- People sometimes love to sauté onions, tomatoes and vegetables in oil and then add to the recipe to enhance flavor.
- When making Sambar recipe stir occasionally if you are making thick concentration so that bottom doesn’t get burnt.
- Fenugreek seeds not only adds flavor but it’s good for diabetic patients.
What is Sambar Recipe?
Sambar is one of the popular lentil-based vegetable stew served either with breakfast recipes or with steamed rice.
Although there is no proper evidence, people say that Raja Sarabhoji accidentally invented this recipe while making stew to satisfy their taste buds. With his name, the word “sambar” got arrived.
Whatever it is one should agree that this recipe is originated in South India and is made with lentil and vegetables as main ingredients with different flavors.
As per literature, this recipe is mentioned in Bhimakhandam, hamsavimshati and āmuktamālyada. So this recipe is served as a royal food in South India.
Do we have different Sambar Variants? What is the difference between Kerala and Tamil Variant?
| Kerala | Tamil |
| It is made by adding different vegetables | It is made by adding only one vegetable. (Nowadays people make by adding different veggies to increase nutritional value) |
| People love to use coconut oil which gives it a distinct flavor. | People make use of available oil. |
| They usually add sliced onions and mustard seeds are added to temper. | They like to add mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leave to temper. |
| Coconut is not an integral part of Kerala sambar. | People sometimes love to add grated coconut to enhance flavor. |
Can we eat curd rice before eating with sambar rice?
No, Sambar recipe is not only rich in nutritional values but also rich in protein as lentil-based recipes are rich in protein. When eating protein food our digestive system releases acidic enzymes to break them.
As this recipe is infused with different vegetables and spices digestive system works hard in breaking them into small.
Whereas when people eat with curd rice, the stomach releases a different proportion of enzymes as it has a cooling effect on the stomach.
As per Ayurveda, food should be consumed in order. Based on the calories our body uses to break the food they should be eaten first or last. Also based on the time of the day and season, food should be consumed.
What is the difference between Sambar and Rasam?
| Sambar | Rasam |
| Its consistency is thick as we add a large quantity of mashed dal. | It’s thin in consistency as we add or remove adding dal. |
| Spices added in making this recipe differ. To get thick consistency we add Sambar Powder. | Either we add spice powder or make without it. We sometimes make use of tamarind pulp or tomato to give tangling flavor. |
| We usually add different varieties of vegetables to enhance their flavor and nutrition. | We usually do not add vegetables and make it plain to keep it light on the stomach. |
| The recipe can be served with breakfast recipes like idli, dosa, vada, etc. along with rice. | It tastes good only when served with rice. |
Can we refrigerate Sambar Recipe for future use?
Yes, but a fresh recipe is good for your health. If you are planning to refrigerate then it should be done within 2 hours of preparation (once cooled).
This recipe can be preserved for 24-48 hours. When refrigerated stock settles to bottom and water on top.
When served after refrigeration, they should be mixed well and heated before use. If you find a change in taste or foul smell or bubbles tries to discard it.
Sambar Recipe, How to Make Sambar Recipe with TIPS, Images & Video
Sambar Recipe is considered as a traditional vegetable stew of South India which is made with yellow lentil, tamarind extract and vegetables.
Ingredients
Ingredients: Measurement: 1 bowl=200 gms.
- Toor dal/ Yellow Lentil/ Kandipappu – 1 bowl
- Turmeric powder – 1 tbsp.
- Oil – 6 tbsp.
- Tomatoes – 1 bowl
- Drumsticks – 1 bowl
- Bottle gourd – 1 bowl
- Carrots – ½ bowl
- Onions – 1 cup
- Curry leaves – 2 tbsp.
- Green chillies – 4 No.
- Coriander leaves – 3 tbsp.
- Salt – 2 ½ tbsp.
- Hing/ Asafetida – a pinch
- Tamarind – fist full
- Ladies finger – 1 cup
- Red chilli powder – 1 tbsp.
- Jaggery – 3 tbsp.
- Sambar powder – 3 tbsp.
- Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tbsp.
- Mustard seeds – ½ tbsp.
- Cumin seeds – ½ tbsp.
- Garlic cloves – 2 tbsp.
- Dry red chillies – 3-4 No.
- Curry leaves – 2 tbsp.
Instructions
- Slice vegetables and keep aside. Clean toor dal by adding adequate water.
- Based on the required consistency, we can adjust the water. But while boiling dal, we add two cups of water for each cup of dal.
- Add little oil, turmeric powder and tomatoes to dal and pressure cook for 4 whistle blows.
- While dal is being cooked, cook vegetables separately.
- Place vessel based on the quantity of sambar recipe you are planning to make. Add bottle gourd, onions, carrots, drumsticks, green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
- Sprinkle a little salt, turmeric powder, a pinch of asafetida and water.
- Cook all ingredients with lid covered on medium flame.
- Soak tamarind for a while and extract its pulp.
- When veggies are half cooked, add ladies finger.
- Check drumsticks, if they are cooked then add tamarind pulp and dal paste.
- Quantity of salt differs based on the vegetables so it’s a good idea to check it at this point.
- Sprinkle red chilli powder based on the spiciness you prefer as we have already added green chillies.
- Add jaggery and stir slowly till it melts if needed add more water based on the consistency you prefer.
- Put sambar liquid by adding little water to sambar powder. We can even sprinkle sambar powder directly but it forms lumps.
- Add above the liquid to the sambar recipe and cook on low flame till you get your required consistency.
- For tempering, we can add oil or ghee. Heat oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds.
- Once mustard seeds start spluttering add crushed garlic cloves, dry red chillies and curry leaves.
- When curry leaves are added, oil tends to splutter. Take care while adding them.
- Add temper to sambar recipe and garnish with coriander leaves.
Recipe Video
How to Make Sambar Recipe:
1. In a pressure cooker add yellow lentil and clean it by adding adequate water.
2. For each bowl of dal add two bowls of water, ¼ tbsp. turmeric powder, 1 tbsp oil and tomatoes.
3. Pressure cook for 4 whistle blows. Usually, 3 blows are enough but cooking for an extra whistle blow will make dal soft and doesn’t require additional mashing.
4. In a wide vessel add drumsticks, bottle gourd, carrots and onions.
5. Add curry leaves, green chillies, coriander leaves and ¾ tbsp. turmeric powder.
6. Sprinkle 2 tbsp. Salt and add ½ liter water, a pinch of asafetida and mix all ingredients and cook on medium flame with lid covered.
7. In another vessel add tamarind, ½ liter water and soak for a minute and squeeze tamarind pulp.
8. Open the lid and check whether drumsticks are cooked or not.
9. When vegetables are cooked, add tamarind pulp and ladies finger and cook for a minute with lid covered.
10. Open pressure cooker and check dal, if it’s pulpy then mash it to make soft.
11. While vegetable and tamarind pulp is being boiled, open the lid and pour dal paste in it.
11. Based on the taste of the sambar recipe, add ½ tbsp. salt or more as per your taste.
12. Sprinkle red chilli powder and jaggery. Mix well so that jaggery melts.
13. In a small bowl put sambar powder and pour water to make it liquid. Add this liquid to the tamarind pulp and cook on low flame.
Tempering:
14. Heat 5-6 tbsp. oil in a pan, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
15. Add garlic cloves, dry red chillies, curry leaves and sauté for a while. Add this temper to sambar Recipe.
16. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with steamed rice or with breakfast recipes like idli recipe.
