Sambar Recipe | சாம்பார் | Mixed Vegetable Sambar

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Sambar Recipe | Mixed Vegetable Sambar

Sambar, a spicy lentil stew is a staple in most South Indian homes. It is prepared with  prepared with a  variety of vegetables and often finished with tempering.  It is more popular as a breakfast dish, served with idli, dosa and vada.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Indian, south indian, Tamilnadu

Keyword: how to make sambar, mixed vegetable sambar, sambar recipe, tamil nadu sambar recipe

Servings: 6

Author: Mullai Madavan

Ingredients

Table – 1

• 1 cup Toor Dal / Thuvaram paruppu
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder for cooking dal
• 3 cups Water for cooking dal

Table – 2

• 1 medium Onion Medium sized, cut lengthwise
• 2 small Tomato small size, chopped
• 1 each Green Chili slit open
• 2 cups Mixed Vegetables Carrot, Green Beans, Squash, Drumstick, Brinjal
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 3 tsp Coriander powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Salt
• 4 cups Water for cooking vegetables

Table – 3

• 10 each Small Sambar onions / Shallot
• 1 cup Vegetables 3 Okra, 1 small Green capsicum
• 3 tsp Tamarind extract
• 1 tsp Sambar powder optional
• 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 2 each Dry Red Chili
• 10 each Curry Leaves
• 1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder
• 2 tsp Oil
• 1 tsp Ghee
• 1 tsp Salt
• 3 stalks Coriander leaves a few stalks for garnish

Instructions

• Wash and soak Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu ) in water for atleast 30 minutes. Then pressure cook it with enough water and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Cook for upto  3 to 4 whistles.  (Use ingredients from table-1) Once done and when the pressure releases, open and mash it immediately with spatula or blend well and keep aside.
  
• Wash all your veggies and cut then into pieces (slightly bigger than usual) and keep aside.  Veggies like carrot, squash, brinjal, drumstick and green beans can go into the pressure cooker with some cut onions, tomato, green chili, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Add enough water to immerse the veggies in the pan and pressure cook for 2 whistles. (Use ingredients from table-2)
  
• Once the pressure settles, the cooked veggies look like this.
  
• Add the cooked dal and tamarind pulp to this and mix well.
  
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.  Let them splutter, then add the small sambar onions,  green capsicum and okra. Let them cook for few minutes.
  
• Veggies like okra(ladys finger) , capsicum gets very mushy if pressure cooked that why are shallow frying them separately.
  
• Now add these to the dal veggie mix along with  sambar powder and salt.  Bring it to a boil and reduce to simmer.
• When it reaches desired consistency garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with Idli/dosa or pipping hot rice topped with ghee.

Notes

If you have 2-tier pressure pan in your cooker you may cook veggies and dal at the same time.

Sambar powder is optional but gives good flavor. Store bought powder gives good color too. Remember store bought powders include salt, so check and then adjust for salt.

Adding a pinch of sugar or jaggery sweetens the sambar, you may if you like it. (or) use a few cubes to sweet potato to sweeten naturally.

Veggies like capsicum are not usually added in sambar but do try it adds nice touch.

Yields about 6-7 cups of sambar.

Wash and soak Toor dhal (Thuvaram paruppu ) in water for at least 30 minutes. Then pressure cook it with enough water and 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Cook for up to  3 to 4 whistles.  (Use ingredients from table-1) Once done and when the pressure releases, open and mash it immediately with spatula or blend well and keep aside.

Wash all your veggies and cut then into pieces (slightly bigger than usual) and keep aside.  Veggies like carrot, squash, brinjal, drumstick and green beans can go into the pressure cooker with some cut onions, tomato, green chili, red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt. Add enough water to immerse the veggies in the pan and pressure cook for 2 whistles. (Use ingredients from table-2)

Once the pressure settles, the cooked veggies look like this.

Add the cooked dal and tamarind pulp to this and mix well.

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida.  Let them splutter, then add the small sambar onions,  green capsicum and okra. Let them cook for few minutes.

Veggies like okra(lady’s finger) , capsicum gets very mushy if pressure cooked that why are shallow frying them separately.

Now add these to the dal veggie mix along with  sambar powder and salt.  Bring it to a boil and reduce to simmer.

When it reaches desired consistency garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with Idli/dosa or pipping hot rice topped with ghee.