Sambhar Recipe
Sambar is a popular and quintessential dish of South Indian cuisine, enjoyed by people across the country and abroad. It is a delicious and nutritious lentil soup made with a variety of vegetables, aromatic spices and tamarind extract. Sambhar is a versatile dish that can be eaten with rice, dosa, idli, vada and even with roti. It is a perfect blend of taste and texture that satisfies both your taste buds and your hunger pangs. In this blog post, we will give you a step-by-step guide to make authentic South Indian Sambar at home.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making Sambar:
Step 1: Preparing the Ingredients
Wash and soak 1/2 cup toor dal in water for 30 minutes.
Cut 1 onion, 2 tomatoes, and some drumsticks, carrots, and beans into medium-sized pieces.
Soak a small lemon-sized tamarind in water for 10 minutes and extract its juice.
2 tbsp whole coriander, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds, 1 tbsp black pepper, 1/2 tbsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tbsp urad dal, 1/2 tbsp chana dal, 3- a pan 4 dry red chilies, and a pinch of asafoetida in it, till the smell comes.
Step 2: The Cooking Process
Roasting and grinding the sambar powder:
Let the roasted spices cool down and grind them coarsely.
Keep powder aside for later.
Cooking Dal:
Strain the soaked toor dal and put it in the pressure cooker.
Add 2 cups water, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker.
Cook the dal for 4-5 whistles or till the dal becomes soft.
Mash the cooked dal and keep it aside.
Preparing the Vegetables:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and fry the onions till they turn translucent.
Add chopped vegetables and fry for 2-3 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water and cook till the vegetables become soft.
Preparation of tamarind water:
Add the extracted tamarind juice to the cooked vegetables and let it come to a boil.
Add 2 tsp salt and let it boil for 5 minutes.
Mixing all ingredients:
Add the mashed daal to the boiling tamarind water and mix well.
Add powder to the mixture and let it boil for 10-15 minutes.
Check seasoning and adjust salt and spices accordingly.
Tempering Process:
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan and add ½ tbsp mustard seeds.
When the mustard seeds start crackling, add 1/4 tablespoon asafoetida, few curry leaves and 2-3 dry red chilies.
Pour the tempering mixture over the sambar and mix well.
Step 3:
Tips and tricks to get the right consistency and taste of sambar
If the sambar is too thick, add little water to adjust the consistency.
If the it is too sour, add a pinch of sugar to balance the taste.
If you like your sambar spicier, add more cayenne pepper or black pepper.
Serving suggestion:
Sambar is best enjoyed with steaming hot rice, topped with ghee or ghee. You can also serve it with roti or parantha.
Sambhar can be paired with many South Indian breakfast dishes, such as dosa, idli, vada and uttapam.
For a light meal can be served as a soup with some crispy breadsticks or crackers.
Recipes you may like