Description
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.
Mixed Vegetable Sambar / Sambhar / சாம்பார் / Sambaru / Lentil Stew / Tamilnadu Sambar recipe
Sambar Recipe | Mixed Vegetable Sambar
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
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.
Comments
18 responses to “Sambar Recipe | சாம்பார் | Mixed Vegetable Sambar”
Hi mullai. I am new to your blog. I just want to know which sambhar powder tastes good. Mtr, shakti or anything else ?? Pls let me know. I want to make my sambhar tastier. I am reading your recipes. I will try soon..
Thanks
Hi Krithika,
I personally feel MTR has that restaurant quality & flavor, try and let me know. Thanks!
Hi Mullai,
Thanks for the recipe. It tasted great. Can we freeze this sambar? Will it taste good
Thanks
Thanks Rohini, sambar freezes well but I personally didn’t like the consistency & taste of it once thawed. But you may freeze cooked dal and then quickly make fresh sambar. Hope this helps! Check this link
http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/freezer-friendly-ready-to-eat-indian-dishes/
Many Thanks Mullai. Whenever I invite my vegetarian friends, I cook as per this receipe and they always liked this sambhar very much.
Mullai, Your Sambar receipe is good. For some reason i am not abel to view the receipes i am just able to view only the image. I don’t know how to view the ingredients and other stuff for the receipe.
Even i searched out with the receipe name. Still i am just getting the image only.
Please help me in getting the receipe
Example
i tried frying masala and srilankan coconut rice
Hi Mullai, Thanks in millions for this great recipe.I tried many times to make sambar but it didn't come properly. But your recipe is just perfect. It turned out very well.Thanks again.
Thamari
Thanks Mullai for this great recipe, my fiance loved it! I dont have a pressure cooker in this size (yet) so I prepared it in a normal pot it turned out very well.
hi mullai,
which sambar powder brand i can use ….
hi mullai ,
i want to know whether we can make sambar powder at home,my husband dose nt like the ready made one from stores,so will u be able to help me.
Post it under recipe request and shall work on it sometime.
ok thank you mullai.
I don’t think adding asafoetida will make the toor dal smell vanish. BTW most of the India stores does carry asaoe. powder.
Usually sambar powder will be added after the process is over. Finally add the sambar powder and mix thoroughly and turn-off the gas, you will get the fresh flavour and aroma. Do not cook after adding the sambar powder. That's what i usually do while making sambar.
Hi,
This recipe looks yummy….
But i hav a small doubt, last time when i tried sambar of my own(similar to this) it had thoardal smell, which i dnt like… and which doesnt hav when my mom prepares it when i was in india.
I think the reason is that i did not add “asafoetida powder” to that. It is not available here not even in Indian stores. Can u please suggest how to get rid of that thoardal smell in sambar.
when to add sambar powder
Just include when you add salt.
Hi Mullai,
I tried this last week and it turned out good. It was great in taste and smells good.
Mercy