Sambar is a traditional & popular South Indian dish to relish with rice, idli, dosa, pongal and upma. Sambar is tasty & healthy veg stew version made by cooking veggies with dal, sambar powder, spices, tamarind extract & herbs. Sambar recipe explained in this post with step by step pictures.
Sambar – One of the quite essential south indian sidedish.In the recent days I have been getting many reader requests for posting the step by step method of how to make basic sambar…that too very specific in murugakkai sambar…though I have posted few other sambar recipes like arachuvitta sambar, tiffin sambar etc.
About Sambar Recipe
In my cooking learning process, sambar didnt dispapoint me at all as it came out goodthough not perfect even for the first time.I think the sambar powder matters the most, ammas sambar powder is very popular among relatives and friends that everytime we pack to give it to them.Have you ever seen the outer wrapper of ashirwad sambar powder? Yes that was the inspiration for this click…Whenever I go to Nilgiris super market I stare at the wrapper and tell to myself….I will post the sambar recipe only if I am able to click like that…Hope I have done justice to it.
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📖 Recipe Card
Sambar | Meals Sambar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup toor dal
- 15 small onions
- 1 big or 2 small tomato chopped roughly
- 2 drumstick chopped
- 1.5 tablespoon sambar powder
- 1/3 cup thin tamarind extract
- 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
- coriander leaves to garnish
- 1 teaspoon oil
- salt to taste
To Temper :
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon urad dal
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- a generous pinch hing
- 2 red chillies
Instructions
- Pressure cook toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and enough water for 4-5 whistles or until mushy. Mash it well with a ladle, Set aside.
- In a kadai heat oil add onion, tomato saute till golden brown till tomato raw smell leaves.
- Then add drumstick and saute for 3mins.
- Then add the sauted items to toor dhal, add 1 cup water(adjust to desired consistency).
- Then add sambar powder and mix well to avoid lumps.
- Allow it boil in medium flame till the veggie gets cooked.
- Once the veggie gets cooked add tamarind extract and allow it to boil for a good 5-10mins till it reaches sambar consistency. Adjust salt at this stage.
- Heat oil – add the items under ‘to temper’ and transfer it to the sambar.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and switch it off.
- Serve Sambar hot with rice and any poriyal of your choice.
Notes
- If you are using thick tamarind pulp then add just 1/4 cup. Always add tamarind extract only after the veggie gets cooked.
- Tempering at the last stage retains the flavour of the tempering for a long time.
- Smells and tastes good for 2 days if refrigerated. But heat it once in between cool down and then refrigerate.
- Boil well till the raw smell of the veggie as well as toor dal leaves. Switch off according to the thick consistency you prefer.
- I use homemade sambar powder which we grind in bulk.
How to make Sambar
- Pressure cook toor dal with a pinch of turmeric powder and enough water for 4-5 whistles or until mushy. Mash it well with a laddle,Set aside.In a kadai heat oil add onion, tomato saute till golden brown till tomato raw smell leaves.Then add drumstick and saute for 3mins.
- Then add the sauted items to toor dhal, add 1 cup water(adjust to desired consistency).Then add sambar powder and mix well to avoid lumps.
- Allow it boil in medium flame till the veggie gets cooked.Once the veggie gets cooked add tamarind extract and allow it to boil for a good 5-10mins till it reaches sambar consistency.Adjust salt at this stage.
- Heat oil – add the items under ‘to temper’ and transfer it to the sambar. Add chopped coriander leaves and switch it off.
Serve hot with rice and any poriyal of your choice. I served it with carrot poriyal.
Expert Tips
- If you are using thick tamarind pulp then add just 1/4 cup.Always add tamarind extract only after the veggie gets cooked.
- Tempering at the last stage retains the flavour of the tempering for a long time.
- Smells and tastes good for 2 days if refrigerated. But heat it once inbetween cool down and then refrigerate.
- Boil well till the raw smell of the veggie as well as toor dal leaves.Switch off according to the thick consistency you prefer.
- I use homemade sambar powder which we grind in bulk.
Priya Suresh
Love drumsticks in sambar, they gives a wonderful flavor na,beautiful spread.
Helen Prabha
Wow…sambar looks wonderful…
RAKS KITCHEN
My favorite of all sambhar, gives a great flavor! Nice clicks
RENU
yum yum sambar
Janani
Nice clicks! May I know why we add tamarind extract at the end?
Sharmilee! :)
It gives a slight tanginess to the sambar, we usually add for any sambar
Kadhyaa
great flavour i love this sambhar recipe
Bhargavi
Hey 250 ml container of toor dal uncooked is a big quantity. Is this necessary
Sharmilee! :)
It depends on the serving count….may be you reduce it to 3/4 cup if you feel its a big quantity for u
Hari Chandana P
Wowwwwwwwwww… wonderful and flavorful sambhar… Looks inviting 🙂
Jeyashrisuresh
Flavorful sambar, loved the way u made this, very new to me. nicely presented
Sireesha Puppala
It's very famous in my place…drumsticks bring special flavour to the sambar
Krithi Karthi
Simply awesome. adorable clicks!!
Cynthia
You had me at drumsticks! 🙂
Gayathri Ramanan
flavorful sambhar…nice clicks
Sangeetha Nambi
Wow ! Super flavored sambar, love this with Potato fry !
Vardhini
Flavorful sambar. Looks inviting.
Sona S
beautiful clicks.. sambar looks so delicious..
Rathipriya Surendhar
I tried the sambar recipe yesterday night for dinner. It came out really well..
Swetha
Made the sambar as per your recipe. Tasted very different from the regular sambars I make. It is very good. Thanks for sharing.
அபு மாஹிரா
இன்று முயற்சி செய்தேன்(மனைவி இந்தியாவில் இருப்பதால்) எங்கோ சொதப்பி விட்டது. புளி அளவில் அதிகமாகிவிட்டது. 🙁
SHARMILEE J
Oh good luck next time….
Vivek Lakshminarayanan
Hey Sharmilee, I am a great fan of your recipes, I keep surprising my wife with some fantastic food, and definitely for indian cuisines I refer your portal.
Why don't you plan for a app in Android and apple store.
We are there to support you.
Poorvy Sharma
Hi Sharmi, Instead of tamarind extract can I add lemon juice? If yes pls help me with the measurement
SHARMILEE J
No no lemon juice cannot be a substitute for tamarind in making sambar…as the flavour is completely different..
sowmya
yummy tummy sambar loved it
kumudam
Hi sharmi. Came out very well..had the feel of mom's cooking
cauvery
I dont have sambar powder…
In what ration should i add merchi powder and dhaniya powder(sambar for 2 people)????
SHARMILEE J
Add 1 tsp chilli powder and 2 tsp coriander powder
cauvery
Thanks for the receipe….Sambar came out soo well….
sudha raja
how much qty of tamarind have to be taken
SHARMILEE J
Take a small lemon sized ball
Mrinalini Satrasala
Hi I tried out the recipe, it was really simply and easy to follow 🙂 Sambhar came out very tasty :)Thank you.
raveena kv
Hi sharmi, is that iron kadai??
SHARMILEE J
Yes
Rahs
Hi….
How much of onion can be used instead of shallots…?
Rahs
HI
Pls send the measurements in grams also
SHARMILEE J
Will post it in future
sindhu
Kindly ptovide t recipe to prepare sambar powder