One Pot Sambar Recipe

Sambar is a famous dish made in the south. It is eaten with idli, dosa, vada, and rice. It is delicious and nutritious because it contains many types of vegetables and toor dal. It is made with a special spice mixture called sambar powder. It is very easy to make, let's see how it is made:

Ingredients:

For the Dal:

• 1 cup toor dal (pigeon peas)

• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder

• 2 cups water

For the Vegetables:

• 1/2 cup drumsticks (moringa), cut into pieces

• 1/2 cup carrots, diced

• 1/2 cup pumpkin or bottle gourd, diced

• 1 medium tomato, chopped

• 6-8 pearl onions or 1 medium onion, quartered

• 1 tbsp tamarind paste (or a small lime-sized tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup warm water)

• 1 cup water

For the Sambar Powder (or use store-bought):

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds

• 1/2 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)

• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds

• 2-3 dried red chilies

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• 1 tbsp grated coconut     

• 1 tsp oil (for roasting)

For Tempering:

• 2 tbsp oil 

• 1 tsp mustard seeds

• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds

• 2 dried red chilies

• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

• 8-10 curry leaves

• Freshly chopped coriander (for Garnishing)

Instructions:

Step 1. Cook the dal:

• Wash the toor dal well and cook it with turmeric powder and water for 4-5 whistles (or until soft and mushy). Mash the dal and keep it aside.

Step 2. Prepare the vegetables:

• In a vessel, boil the vegetables (except tomatoes) with a pinch of salt and water until soft. Next, add the tomatoes and cook for 2 more minutes. Once cooked, set them aside.

Step 3. Make the sambar powder (if homemade):

• Heat oil in a pan and saute coriander, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, red chili, and coconut till aromatic. Cool and grind finely.

• You can also buy sambar powder from the market.

Step 4. Add tamarind and dal:

• Dissolve tamarind paste in 1 cup of water (or squeeze out the juice of soaked tamarind). Add it to the cooked vegetables.

• Add the mashed dal and sambar powder to it. Mix it well and cook for 10-12 minutes. Add salt and water to taste and adjust the consistency.

Step 5. Prepare the Tadka:

• To temper the sambar, heat oil or ghee in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.

• Now add cumin seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Fry for a few seconds and pour the tempering over the sambar.

• Garnish the sambar with coriander leaves and serve with your favorite dish rice, idli, dosa, or vada.

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