Jan 23, 2012

Sambar

While I was compiling a recent post to mark 4 years of blogging, I was astonished to see that I had never blogged about sambar! Sambar is a staple at my house. I make it almost every week or every other week to accompany our dosas and idlies for breakfast and dinner and also with rice and poriyals for lunch. It is a versatile dish to be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I try to make different versions by rotating the vegetables I use. This is my mom's recipe for sambar. It sounds like a difficult procedure, but it is so easy to make.


Ingredients
Toor dal - 1 cup
Vegetables - 1 cup chopped (potatoes, drumstick, cauliflower, brinjal, radish, beans, peas, carrots etc. can be used) I use 3 to 4 of the above veggies mentioned
Tamarind extract - from the size of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Sambar powder - 2 teaspoons
All-purpose curry powder/Kuzhambu milagai thool (or chilli powder) - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1/4 cup chopped
Tomato - 2 chopped roughly
Green chillies - 2
Cilantro/coriander leaves - for garnish
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 2 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch


Instructions

  1. In a pressure cooker, cook the toor dal with about 3 cups of water and turmeric powder until you get 4 whistles. Alternatively, you can cook it in a stockpot for about 30 minutes, until the dal turns soft.
  2. With the help of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the dal to make it into a smooth paste.
  3. In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing.
  4. Once everything splutters, add the chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and allow it to cook for a minute.
  5. Now add the chopped vegetables and saute until the raw smell goes away.
  6. To this add the sambar powder, curry/chilli powder, salt and the tamarind extract and bring it to a boil.
  7. Simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes until the veggies cook well.
  8. Now add the dal to this and mix thoroughly.
  9. Add some chopped coriander/cilantro, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until you get the required consistency.

Alternate quicker method
After step 6, pour all the contents in the kadai into the pressure cooker with the dal. Add about 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Delicious sambar is ready.

I am participating in a blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli for 7 days and I will be posting under the theme - "Seven Days of Delicious Dals"

Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

36 comments:

  1. Comforting & Delicious sambar.. Perfect for any meal.

    Pavani
    http://cooks-hideout.blogspot.com/

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  2. My fav anytime,simply love with rice and papads.

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  3. what can be better than yummy sambaar...can have it any time!...delicious!

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  4. Oh! Sambar is such comfort food! Love it.. I can have it like soup too...
    love the presentation bowls.

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  5. I never added potatoes to sambar. Will try next time. Looks delicious!

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  6. Sambhar and crispy dosa. My all time favorite combination.

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  7. Sambar is the best and yummyyy dish which we don't get bored at anytimeeee ur sambar is very yummyyyyyyyyy

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  8. I also make sambar once in a week. My very comfort food all time.

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  9. Never say no to Sambar!! Captivating pictures too!

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  10. I blogged after 4 years too, that looks nice with rice along!

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  11. Glad you could join us Divya..and sambar is a staple food..:)..

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  12. Very comfort and delicious sambhar,my all time favorite.

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  13. sambhar and rice .. comfort food...looks delicious.

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  14. Nice recipe dear..this sambar makes me hungry!

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  15. Hi divya,
    Sambar is all time favorite beautiful picture..

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  16. yummy sambar with steaming hot rice!!..wow!!

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  17. All time favorite. Perfect for anything..

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  18. one of my family fav recipe...looks very nice

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  19. Sambhar is in my menu alsmost 4 days. inviting pictures, Divya.

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  20. I love this recipe...looks very nice

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  21. Can never say no to such a delicious sambar..Yummy clicks..

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  22. yep, comforting bowl of food indeed... we also have it atleast 3 times a week :) love ur bowl

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  23. This would go over well at my house - we always appreciate a good soup. Thanks for sending your recipe to My Legume Love Affair.

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  24. Thanks so much,Divya - I appreciate that you thought of linking up and joining me on this journey:)My linky doesn't have an option for photos actually but I'm thinking of publishing a round-up once the event is over where I'll pull a photo from each of your entries and put it up so that everyone can see - still in planning phase.Thanks a bunch anyway!

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  25. You know divya I am not so much found of Tomato. So i will make this one tested without tomato. Thanks so much for sharing this formula for sambar

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Hi..
Thanks for dropping by my blog and rendering your valuable comments..Hope you had a nice time reading my recipes..Thanks for your encouragement..

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