Welcome! Today, I'm excited to share the perfect recipe for sambar, a beloved South Indian dish often paired with medu vada, idli, or dosa. The unique taste of authentic sambar is incomparable, and I'm here to guide you through crafting it flawlessly. Alongside the recipe, I'll share valuable tips to guarantee your sambar is nothing short of perfection. So, without further ado, let's get started!
What Is Sambar Recipe?
Sambar is a traditional South Indian dish that is essentially a lentil-based vegetable stew, flavoured with a unique blend of spices. It typically consists of toor dal (split pigeon peas) cooked with a variety of vegetables like drumsticks, pumpkin, potatoes, and onions. The dish is seasoned with mustard seeds, curry leaves, asafoetida, and a special spice mix called sambar powder. Tamarind paste or tomatoes are used to impart a tangy flavour, while jaggery or sugar adds a subtle sweetness. Sambar is often served as a side dish with idli (steamed rice cakes), dosa (fermented crepes), or rice in South Indian cuisine. It's known for its rich flavour profile, aromatic spices, and comforting texture, making it a staple in many households and restaurants across India.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup toor dal (tuvar dal) or split pigeon peas
- 1/4 cup drumstick
- 1/4 cup pumpkin
- 1/2 cup potato
- 1/4 cup bottle gourd
- 1/2 cup onion
- 1/2 cup tomato
- 20 curry leaves
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp red chilli powder
- 2 tbsp sambar masala
- 1 tsp garlic
- 5 tbsp cooking oil
- Salt to taste
How To Make Sambar:
Step-by-step Guide:
Step 1:Preparing the Dal:To make sambar in a cooker, here we have taken 1/2 cup of toor dal.
- Toor dal is commonly used for making sambar, but if you don't prefer toor dal, you can also use your preferred moong dal. However, traditional sambar is made with toor dal. So, wash the dal thoroughly with water. You can soak it if you prefer, but do not soak for more than 10 minutes.
Step 2: Sambar Oil Infusion:First, take a pressure cooker and add 3-4 tablespoons of oil to it. Then heat the oil. In sambar, we use less oil. As soon as the oil is hot.
Add 1 tablespoon of mustard oil, 1/4 teaspoon of asafoetida (hing), and 13-15 curry leaves. Curry leaves enhance the taste of sambar, so make sure to add them. Once the flavor of curry leaves infuses into the oil.
- Add 1/2 cup of onions. Sambar onions are small onions available in the market for making sambar. If you don't have sambar onions, you can use 1 regular-sized onion instead.
Step 3:Adding vegetables: Now, for the vegetables, I have added: 1/4 cup of drumstick, 1/4 cup of pumpkin, 1/2 cup of potato, and 1/4 cup of bottle gourd.
You can add your preferred vegetables to the sambar. Generally, all vegetables are suitable for sambar such as beans, cabbage, etc. There are no strict rules, but avoid adding bitter gourd and similar vegetables. Add vegetables that have a mild and pleasing taste. However, leafy vegetables like spinach are not added here. We need to fry the vegetables for 3-4 minutes until they are slightly cooked.
Step 4:Adding tomatoes and spices:
- Once the vegetables are slightly cooked, add 2 chopped tomatoes (approximately 1/4 cup) to the pressure cooker. To help the tomatoes cook, add 1 teaspoon of salt. Soften the tomatoes by frying them for about 2 minutes.
- As the vegetables and tomatoes start to fry, add the spices. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chilli powder, and 2 tablespoons of sambar masala, either store-bought or homemade. Mix all the spices well with the vegetables.
Step 5:Adding dal: Add the soaked toor dal to the cooker and mix it with the spices and vegetables. If the mixture appears too dry, you can add a little water to prevent sticking.
Step 6:Pressure cooking:
- Firstly, I used 4 cups of water for 1/2 cup of toor dal.
- I added salt, if needed. Remember, we added salt earlier as well. Mix the vegetables well.
- Be careful not to add too much water now, or else it might start coming out from the whistle of the pressure cooker.
- First, let it cook well. Then, if the sambar seems thick, you can add water to adjust its thickness.
- Cook it for 4-5 whistles on a medium flame.
- If you're making it for kids, don't add drumstick directly into the sambar. Instead, fry the drumstick separately and then add it. If the drumstick gets too soft in the pressure cooker, the threads will come out while eating.
- Our sambar is ready, and the whistles have gone off. Turn off the flame and let the pressure cooker cool down by itself.
- Once the pressure cooker has cooled down, we can open the lid.
Step 7:Adjusting consistency:Once the pressure releases naturally, open the cooker. Mash the vegetables slightly to achieve a thick gravy consistency. If needed, add some hot water to adjust the thickness.We need a thin gravy. Here, you can add hot or normal water to reduce its thickness. I have kept the gas on here, so I added 1 cup of hot water.
Step 8:Adding sweetness:Add 1 tablespoon of jaggery (gud), which is used for sweetness. You can also use sugar instead of jaggery. Sambar, which is slightly tangy, sweet, and full of flavour, benefits from adding a little jaggery or sugar.
Step 9:Tamarind pulp:And now we haven't added tamarind chutney (imli) yet, tamarind is a must in it. You can add 3 tbsp of tamarind pulp to it, either soak tamarind in water and extract its pulp, or mix water in tamarind paste to dissolve and add.To give the sambar its characteristic tangy flavor.
Step 10:Preparing Tadka:
- Heat a pan and add 2 teaspoons of oil. Let the oil heat up.
- Once the oil is hot, add 3 dry red chillies and 10-12 curry leaves. Using fresh curry leaves gives a great taste to the sambar.
- As soon as the curry leaves become slightly crispy, turn off the heat and let the temperature of the oil reduce slightly.
- Now add 1 teaspoon of sambar masala. Be careful, if the oil is too hot, the spices might burn.
- Optionally, add 1/2 teaspoon of Kashmiri red chilli powder for colour enhancement.
Step 11:Final Touch:
- After adding the spices, pour this tadka into the sambar.
- Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let the flavours of the tadka infuse into the sambar. Leave it for about 1 minute with the gas turned off.
- After 1 minute, open the lid, and your delicious sambar is ready to serve.
-10. This sambar is very tasty, and I encourage you to try it and send feedback.
Making sambar is quite easy as you can see, and it's a great way to enjoy vegetables even if you're not a big fan of them. Give it a try and let me know how it turns out!
Serving Suggestions:
Sambar pairs perfectly with idli, dosa, or steamed rice. Its tangy and flavorful taste adds an extra dimension to your meal. Whether it's a breakfast treat or a comforting dinner, sambar never fails to impress.
Tips for Perfect Sambar:
- Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor.
- Adjust spice levels according to your preference.
- Ensure the right consistency by controlling the amount of water.
- Experiment with different vegetables to suit your taste.
FAQs
1. Can I use other dals instead of toor dal?
Yes, you can substitute toor dal with moong dal or masoor dal, but toor dal is traditional for sambar.
2. Can I skip any vegetables?
While you can customize the vegetables, certain ones like drumstick add a distinct flavor to sambar.
3. What is the role of sambar masala?
Sambar masala adds depth and complexity to the flavor profile of sambar.
4. How do I adjust the consistency of sambar?
You can add more water for a thinner consistency or simmer longer for a thicker sambar.
5. Can I make sambar ahead of time?
Yes, sambar tastes even better when made ahead and reheated.
6. What if I don't have all the vegetables listed?
- Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand. Sambar is versatile, so you can customize it according to your preferences.
7.Can I skip adding tamarind chutney?
- No, tamarind adds a crucial tanginess to the sambar. It's essential for the authentic flavor.
8. How long can I store leftover sambar?
- Sambar can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days. Reheat it before serving.
9. Is sambar healthy?
- Yes, sambar is a nutritious dish packed with proteins, vitamins, and minerals from the lentils and vegetables.
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