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Description Sambar or Sambhar or Sambaar is a very common South Indian dish made from toovar dal (tuvar dal). There are many different ways you can prepare Sambar. I have selected this particular sambhar recipe as it is very easy to follow. Sambar is usually served with steamed rice. It is also served as a side dish with idli sambhar, vada sambhar and dosa. So go ahead and make this popular South Indian dish by following the sambar recipe described below. As with all recipes you can experiment with ingredients once you feel confident. Sambar Recipe.
*Â 1 cup Toor Dal (or yellow lentils)
*Â 1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
*Â 2 tsp oil
*Â Salt to taste
*Â 5 small dry red chilies (or less)
*Â 8 Curry Leaves
*Â 1 medium onion
*Â 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
*Â 1/4 tsp asafoetida
*Â 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
*Â 1 large tomato
*Â 2 tbsp sambar powder (Sambar powder can be bought pre-mixed at the store)
*Â 1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves (coriander leaves)
*Â 1 cup of a vegetable like green beans, chopped carrot
- Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water for about 20 minutes.
- Squeeze it out, to prepare 1 cup of juice.
- Use a heavy cooking pot.
- Wash and clean the dal. Boil 2 cups of water and add the dal, turmeric powder and 1 tsp of oil.
- As the dal boils, skim off the foam and discard. Boil until the dal is soft and then mash it coarsely. If needed, add more water but it should not get too watery.
- In a separate pan, heat to medium heat and pour in the remaining oil.
- Once the oil is hot, add the chilies, mustard seeds, fenugreek and curry leaves and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped onion till light brown.
- Add the tamarind extract and let it boil lightly until the onions are cooked.
- Add this mixture to the dal with asafoetida, tomato, vegetable of choice and sambar powder.
- Allow this to boil for 5 to 10 minutes and remove from the heat.
- Garnish with cilantro (fresh coriander leaves).
Of course if you are short on time and want a quick solution then use ready available Sambar powder. Sambhar powder is available in most Indian shops. You just need to add the right amount of water.
Typical ingredients of the sambar powder include toor dal, roasted lentils, coriander seeds, dried whole red chili, fenugreek seeds, coriander leaves and curry leaves. Sambar powder is prepared by pan roasting the whole spices and grinding them to a rather coarse powder with some salt optionally.