Sambaar is a south Indian lentil curry dish cooked in different ways in all five south Indian states.  All of them are delicious. Many vegetables goes in cooking of Sambaar like Raw Banana, Shallots (small sambaar onions), Eggplant, Okra and so forth.  I cooked this Sambaar recipe using limited vegetables available in my home but was very delicious and authentic.  Sambaar is eaten with Rice, Idli, Dosa or Vada.  Try cooking this recipe at home.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

  • Toor Dal (Slpit Pigeon Pea – Yellow Lentil) – Two cups.  
  • Imli (Tamarind) – 6 to 8 pieces.  Soak them in hot water.  After 30 minutes, mash it with fingers and prepare a Tamarind Pulp.  
  • Laal Kaddu (Red Pumpkin) – 150 gms.  Cut them into small one inch cubes. 
  • Sengi (Drum Stick or Murrunga Kai) – One full piece.  Clean and cut them into two inch long pieces.
  • Onions – Two medium size.  Cut them into one inch cubes.  
  • Tomato – Two medium size. Cut them into one inch cubes.  
  • Mooli (White Raddish) – One full piece.  Cut it into thin semi circular slices. 
  • Gajar (Carrot) – Two full piece.  Cut them into thin semi circular slices.  
  • Gawar (Cluster Beans) – 6 to 8 pieces.  Cut them into one inch size pieces.  
  • Green Chilli – Two pieces. Just slit them from middle.
  • Lassun (Garlic) – 6 to 8 cloves.  Just crush them roughly.
  • Kadipatta (Curry Leaves) – 20 petals.
  • Gur (Jaggery) – 2 inch size.
  • Rai (Mustard) seeds – 2 tbs.
  • Urad Dal (White Split Lentil) – 2 tbs.
  • Dry Red Chilli – Two pieces.
  • Salt to taste.
  • Haldi (Tumeric) powder – Half tbs.
  • Hot Red Chilli powder – 1 tbs.
  • Sambaar masala Powder (Easily available in Indian Grocery stores) – 2 tbs.
  • Hing (Asefoetida) powder – Half tsp.
  • Cooking Oil for Tadka (Tempering) – 4 tbs.

Method:

  • Wash / Rinse the Toor Dal properly with water.  Soak the Dal in water for atleast 2 hours.  
  • Take a pressure cooker.  Add soaked toor dal and sufficient water into the cooker. Water level should be double of the toor dal level.  Add little salt and haldi powder. Pressure cook the toor dal for 4 to 5 cooker whistles.  Allow it to cool. Open the cooker lid and mash the toor dal nicely.  Keep it aside.
  • Take a large Utensil and add 12 to 15 cups of water.  Heat it up.
  • Once water is Hot, add chopped onion, tomato, gawar, laal kaddu, sengi, mooli, gajar, half of the kadipatta, slit green chilli, lassun, salt to taste, haldi powder and boil all these vegetables until all of them are cooked properly.  This may take some time.
  • Once all the vegetables are almost half cooked, add sambaar masala powder, red chilli powder and mix them well.  Cook it for another 5 minutes with the utensil lid covered.
  • Add gur and imli pulp into the vegetable. Mix them well and cook it for another 3 to 5 minutes with the utensil lid covered.
  • Add little water if the water has dried up and heat it up.
  • Add mashed toor dal into the hot boiling vegetables.  Mix it well.  Stir them until the mashed toor dal is completely mixed with the vegetable curry.  Cover the utensil lid and cook this mixture on low or medium flame for another 5 to 8 minutes or until all the vegetables are completely cooked.
  • Take a deep Tadka Utensil or large deep spoon for Tadka (Tempering).  Add cooking oil and heat it up.
  • Once the oil is heated up, add rai seeds and allow it to crackle.
  • Add urad dal to the hot oil and allow it to cracke.
  • Split dry red chilli into 2 or 3 pieces each and add them to the hot oil.
  • Add hing powder to the hot oil.
  • Add remaining kadipatta to the hot oil and turn off the heat.
  • Open the Sambaar utensil lid and pour this hot Tadka mixture on top of the Sambaar.  Give it a one quick stir and cover the Sambaar utensil with a lid.
  • Turn off the heat after 2 to 3 minutes.
  • Delicious Sambaar is ready.  Hot Sambaar is served with Rice, Idli, Dosa or Medu Vada.
  • Happy Eating.

Medu Vada Recipe:

  • Here’s the link to my Medu Vada Recipe.  Medu Vada