Simple Sambar Recipe

Sambar also spelled sambhar or sambaar is a vegetable stew mostly used along with Idli or Dosa in South India. It is very healthy because most of the vegetable are added. We can make sambar with a mix of veggies or use only one vegetable. Region wise the preparation of Sambar is different. Some used to make sambar by adding roasted coconut. Mostly used vegetables in making sambar are pumpkin, carrots, drumsticks, okra, potatoes, brinjals, snake gourd, ash gourd, tomatoes, onion or shallots elephant yam etc. Let’s check how to make Sambar with this simple Sambar recipe.

Sambar Recipe

Sambar in Pressure Cooker

Ingredients (1 Cup = 250 ml)

1/2 cup tur dal
2 cups cleaned and chopped vegetables (pumpkin, carrots, drum sticks, okra, potatoes, brinjals, snake gourd, ash gourd, tomatoes, onion or shallots,elephant yam)
1 tablespoon tamarind soaked in 1/3 cup water.
1 to 1.5 tablespoons sambar powder
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
a pinch of asafoetida (hing)
2 tablespoons any oil, I prefer coconut oil
2 to 3 red chilies
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
3 to 4 shallots
10 to 12 curry leaves
2 or 3 cups water for pressure cooking the dal and veggies.

Method of Sambar Preparation

Fist soak tamarind in water.
Rinse dal in water and put in pressure cooker. Along with dal you can add potatoes, elephant yam, carrots ash gourd, pumpkin, snake gourd onion. Cook dal and vegetables in 2 to 2.5 cups water in the pressure cooker for 4 to 5 whistles on medium to high flame.
In the mean time take another pan, heat oil and put mustard chopped shallots, curry leaves, red chilies and fry it.
Then add Sambar powder along with turmeric powder, asafoetida, chili powder, fry till the powder change color.
Pour some water and tamaring pulp into the roasted masala.
Add remaining vegetables including brinjals, tomatoes, drum stick, okra. Cook it for 5 to 10 minutes.
Then add already cooked dal and vegetables into the pan and adjust the consistency by adding water.

Notes
Use mixture of dal (chana dal, moong dal, tur dal), it is more healthy and tasty.
Always use home made sambar powder and other powders.
Don’t cook brinjals, tomatoes, drum stick, okra in pressure cooker, it will over cook.

Sambar, Thoran , Pappadam are a best combination along with rice for veggies.