"Is your name a wifi" because I am feeling a connection. Haha , no not that way. I am in love with south Indian foods because of their various healthy and gastronomic properties and also because of their zero harmful properties. And specially with sambar which is nutritious as well as digestive. I always prefer eating Idli sambhar rather than having a junk meal like pizza or burger. Sambhar is the great source of proteins , vitamins , minerals and vital nutrients needed in our body. I think this will help those who don't know the meaning of sambhar.
What is Sambar ?
Sambhar is a type of dal (lentils) with added sauteed vegetables and a special sambar masala (mixed spices). Some makes it without much vegetables and some adds much vegetables according to their choice and preferences. The taste varies according to the vegetables you added. Almost two-third of the population of India consumes dal (lentils) daily to meet their nutrient requirements. Samhbar is accompanied with Idli (steamed cakes) , vada (vadai or medu vada) , dosa , steamed rice or uttapam and a special Coconut chutney (nariyal chutney). Let's start making delicious sambar recipe but before starting I want you to do try some of my these south Indian recipes also.
Click here for : sambar recipe in hindi
Click here for : Rava Idli recipe
Click here for : Coconut chatni recipe
Instructions for making the best sambar recipe :
Which veggies should be used to make sambar ?
Add as much vegetables as you can. It makes your sambhar nutritional and delicious. Add vegetables such as Ghiya , turai , ash guard , okra(bhindi) , drumsticks (sahjan) , beans , brinjal , radish , carrots etc. Some of the vegetables that I have used according to the season are as follows :
Bottle guard (lauky) , okra (bhindi;lady fingers) , tomatoes , potatoes , onions and green chillies. You can use vegetables such as bottle guard , carrots , tomatoes , okra , drumsticks and onions.
Which Dal should be used ?
Generally , sambar is made with toor dal (arhar dal ; pigeon pea lentils ; tuvar dal) or moong dal (yellow lentils) and on special occassions some also makes it with masoor dal (orange lentils). You can make it with any dal like moong dal or masoor dal or you can mix all the three or two dals together. It will taste good. I am making sambar with a mix of toor dal and moong dal. You can also use this tested and tried sambar making method.
Which sambar powder should be used and how to make it ?
You can add sambar masala powder of any brand you prefer the most or you can simply make sambar masala easily at your home to give your sambhar the best and real taste. Follow these simple steps for homemade sambhar masala recipe. Skip if using readymade.
• Roast chana dal (bengal gram lentils) , urad dal , dried red chilly for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame. Take it out and keep aside.
• Roast fenugreek seeds , cumin seeds , coriander seeds and some curry leaves on low flame till it turns aromatic. Don't overcook otherwise a burnt smell will ruin your sambar.
• Add all this roasted ingredients into a grinder and grind it to a fine powder. Sambar masala powder at home is ready.
How to cook the vegetables for sambar ?
Don't Overcook the veggies otherwise your sambar will turn very mashy. Cut fast cooking vegetables in large cubes and slow cooking in small parts to overcome over cooking. Cook Slow cooking veggies first then cook faster cooking veggies. It will prevent your veggies from getting mushy or over cooked. Cook vegetables such as carrots , potatoes etc first and then faster cooking vegetables such as bottle guard , okra , tomatoes etc.
Tamarind juice (Imli ka ras)
Use fresh tamarind. Do not use dark or overaged tamarind. In case you use dark tamarind , add half as compared to fresh tamarind. This is because dark tamarind is more sour.
Which Oil should to use while making sambhar ?
Traditionally South Indians use sesame or coconut oil for making delicious sambhar. But , one can also use Sunflower oil or peanut oil. On the contrary , I used mustard oil. But believe me there will be no compromise in taste. My sambhar turned out the best.
Frequently asked question " Is sambhar healthy ?"
Ans : Yes it is healthy as well as nutritious. Made of vegetables and lentils , it is the great source of protein and minerals.That's it :)
So here is the recipe of sambar :
Cuisine : South Indian
Preparation Time : 15 minutes
Cooking Time : 30 minutes
Total Time : 45 minutes
Serves 3
Ingredients for making Sambar :
Toor Dal (arhar dal)......................... 1/2 cup
Moong Dal....................................... 2 tbsp
Bottle guard (ghiya , ash guard)...... 1/2 chopped
Tomatoes.......................................... 2 medium size
Onions.............................................. 2 medium size optional*
Green chillies................................... 4-5 (skip for children)
Dried Red chillies............................. 2 pcs
Beans................................................ 100 grams optional*
Drumsticks (sahjan ki fali)............... 250 grams
Okra (bhindi; lady fingers)............... 8-10
Carrot................................................ 2-3 optional*
Radish............................................... 1-2 optional*
Potatoes............................................. 3-4 medium size
Pumpkin (kaddu).............................. 1 cup optional*
Brinjal (baingan)............................... 1-2 chopped optional*
Sambar masala.................................. 2 tsp
Salt.................................................... to taste
Turmeric powder............................... 1 tsp
Curry leaves...................................... 10-12
Mustard seeds................................... 2 tsp
Tamarind juice.................................. 1 tbsp (fresh tamarind)
Asafoetida(hing)............................... 1 pinch optional*
Oil..................................................... 1 tbsp
Water................................................. 300 ml or more
How to make the best Sambar recipe step by step ?
Sambar Recipe in Pressure cooker :
- First of all , we have to soak the tamarind for making tamarind juice. Soak it for around 30 to 40 minutes so that we can be able to extract the juice from it. Till then we can cut and saute our vegetables.
- Remove the pulp and seeds of tamarind and keep the tamarind juice aside. Use only half tablespoon of tamarind juice if it is too sour and aged. If you just added more tamarind juice add a little jaggery to reduce it's sourness.
- Roast both the lentils on medium flame for 5 minutes to make it fresher. Skip if already fresh. Soak this roasted dal for 3-4 hours or overnight. Then wash the soaked dal and keep aside. Skip this process if you're in hurry. Just saute our chopped vegetables then add soaked or unsoaked lentils. Here is how to do this.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a cooker and add 2 dried red chillies , 10-12 curry leaves , a pinch of asafoetida , and 2 tsp mustard seeds (rai ke daane) and let it crackle.
- In this add our chopped onions and green chillies. Saute for 2 minutes. You can skip onions or green chillies (for kids) as well.
- Now add our chopped and washed veggies like bottle guard (ghiya , lauki , kaddu) 1/2 chopped , beans 100 grams , drumsticks (saijan ki phali) 250 grams cut in 4 to 5 parts each , okra (bhindi) cut in 2 to 3 parts each , carrot 2-3 , radish 1-2 , potatoes 3-4 medium size , pumpkin (kaddu) 1 cup and brinjal (baingan) 1-2 chopped.
- Add 1 tsp turmeric powder and mix well. Saute for 5 minutes on medium to high flame. As I described above , you can use any of your favorite vegetables.
- In this , add 1 tbsp fresh tamarind (imli) juice, chopped tomatoes and salt to taste. Cook it for 2 minutes to remove it's raw taste. Then add soaked or unsoaked toor dal and moong dal. Add 2 tsp homemade or readymade sambar masala and mix well.
- Add enough water so that it touch the vegetables at that point and cover the lid of the pressure cooker. Cook it till 4 to 5 whistles then turn of the gas flame.
- After 4 to 5 whistles check out the sambhar and add some more salt and water if required.
- You can change the consistency according to your choice. Make a thin consistency by adding some water if serving with idli-dosa or vadai (medu vada) or a thick consistency if serving with steamed rice.
- Sambar is ready. Serve it with idli , dosa , vada , utappam or steamed rice and with coconut chutney.
Sambar Recipe in kadhai :
- First of all , we have to soak the tamarind for making tamarind juice. Soak it for around 30 to 40 minutes so that we can be able to extract the juice from it. Till then we can cut and saute our vegetables.
- Remove the pulp and seeds of tamarind after 30 minutes and keep the tamarind juice aside. Use only half tablespoon of tamarind juice if it is too sour and aged. If you just added more tamarind juice add a little jaggery to reduce it's sourness.
- Wash both the dal and add it in pressure cooker with 1 tsp turmeric , 1 tsp salt and enough water (300 ml). Boil it till 6 to 7 whistles and then mash it to smooth. You can blend it with a blender as well to make it smooth.
- Heat 2/3 tbsp oil in a pan or kadai , add onions and green chillies gree. Saute it for a minutes then add chopped vegetables of your choice as written above. Add 1 tsp turmeric powder and mix well.
- Cook for 5 minutes on medium flame then add 1 tbsp tamarind juice , tomatoes and salt to taste.
- In this, add cooked dal (mashed) , 2 tsp homemade or readymade sambar masala. Cook it till a nice boil , then turn off the gas flame. Now it's time for a tempering. Our sambar is almost done. Refrigerate it without tempering if you want to store it for some days. Just give it a boil and tempering over it whenever you serve this.
For sambar tempering :
- Heat 1/3 tbsp oil in a tempering pan.
- Add mustard seeds , dried red chillies , curry leaves and asafoetida (heeng). Let it crackle. Pour this tempering over the sambar. Mix well and serve with Idli-dosa , vadai , or steamed rice. Accompany with coconut chutney.
- Do not overcook or burn the tempering. Remove the tempering if it's get burned and prepare a new tempering again. You have to leave it on gas untill the curry leaves gets crispy and red chillies changes its colour. Do not add burnt tempering otherwise it will alter the taste of your sambar.
- And done , your sambar is ready to serve.
Notes :
- I made sambar in pressure cooker , but to be on the safe side you can first boil the dal in cooker and then pour it in your sauteed vegetables. Saute the vegetables in a kadai or pan.
- You can either roast your dal or soak it without roasting as well. If you don't want to soak due to lack of time then just give it a nice boil into a pressure cooker. Use fresh toor dal to make best sambar.
- Do not skip tamarind juice or sambhar masala. These are the main key ingredients you should add to your sambar to make it digestive and tasty.
- In case your sambhar gets too soury due to tamarind , then add a little jaggery in it to reduce the sourness. This is the traditional way of making sambhar a little sweet and soury.
Nutritional Info (Estimations only) :
Energy 150 cal
Protein 8.6 g
Fiber 3.2 g
Fat 6.4 g
Carbohydrate 21.3 g
Cholestrol 0.0 mg
Scroll down for step by step sambar recipe with images.
Sambar recipe with step by step images :
Step 1. Heat some oil in a cooker and add mustard seeds , dry red chillies , curry leaves , cumin seeds and let it crackle.
Step 2. Add slower cooking veggies such as onions and potatoes first and saute it for a while.
Step 3. In this , add your favourite faster cooking vegetables such as pumpkin, bottle guard, tomatoes, carrots, etc. chopped in cubes and saute it for 5 minutes. Don't forget to add salt in it.
Step 4. Add soaked or unsoaked tuvar dal and moong dal as well as 2 tsp sambar masala powder.
Step 5. Add tamarind juice (imli ka ras) and enough water up to the veggies and cover the lid to cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Turn off the gas flame afterward and add some more salt and water if required. Serve it with idli , vada , dosa , uttapam , and rice. I am serving it with idli-sambhar and coconut chutney (nariyal chatni).
Thank you
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