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Sambar Recipe

5 from 8 votes
Total: 55 minutes
Serves 8 PEOPLE

A flavorful and delicious South Indian Sambar recipe made with lentils and vegetables is a fantastic accompaniment for soft and fluffy idlis, vadas and dosas.

Sambar Recipe, how to sambhar recipeToday’s recipe comes from the Southern land of India and is everyone’s favorite. Delicacies from South Indian cuisine are always relished in my household as they are incredibly flavorful and light on the tummy. 🙂 Sambar Recipe

There are many varieties of sambar that are prepared using different vegetables and spices, and each one of it has a unique taste and flavor.

The one I relish the most is the mullangi sambar (radish sambar) and tiffin sambar. Below I have shared a simple version of vegetable sambar that I make a lot.

Sambar Recipe, how to sambhar recipe

Now on to the recipe!

I have used homemade sambar powder to make sambar recipe. But store-bought powder will work just fine. Wash and chop all the veggies you want to add to the sambar.

I have used carrots, baingan (small brinjal/eggplants), tomatoes, lauki (bottle gourd), zucchini (tori) and onions. I like to saute my veggies before adding them to the cooked dal.

how to vegetable sambhar recipe

Boil dal and set it aside. When the veggies are ready, mix in the dal, sambar powder, tamarind paste and mix until well blended. Lemon juice can be substituted for tamarind.

Adjust seasonings, and the final step would be to prepare the tempering or baghar. Pour hot tadka/tempering over the dal and serve hot with Instant rice idlis and coconut chutney.

Enjoy a healthy and delicious brunch with your family and friends!!

Sambar Recipe

Do give this yummy sambar recipe a try and if you happen to make this then share your comments below!

Sambar Recipe

5 from 8 votes
A South Indian Sambar recipe made with lentils and vegetables is an amazing accompaniment for soft and fluffy idlis, vadas and dosas.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Total: 55 minutes
Calories: 236 kcal
Servings: 8 PEOPLE

INGREDIENTS 

BOILING DAL

VEGETABLES AND OTHER INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup Chopped Lauki (bottle gourd)
  • 2 small Small eggplant/baingan
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Zucchini
  • 1/2 cup Chopped Carrots
  • 1 medium Chopped tomato
  • 2 tablespoon Gur or Jaggery
  • 3 tablespoon Tamarind juice
  • 1 large onion chopped
  • 2-3 tablespoon Oil to cook veggies
  • 2 tablespoon Homemade Sambar powder
  • 2 cups of Water added to sambar

FOR TEMPERING/TADKA

INSTRUCTIONS

PREPARING SAMBAR

  • Assemble: ingredients to boil dal.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Clean and wash dal.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Transfer dal to a pressure cooker, add salt and turmeric powder. Cover and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid, dal all done and cooked.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Whisk the dal. Set it aside.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Soak tamarind in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Use a spoon to mash up the lumps. Strain and set it aside.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Wash and assemble veggies for dal. Chop the veggies into cubes.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Heat oil in a pan, add carrots and cook for 1 minute.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Toss in onion, baingan/small eggplant, tomato, zucchini and lauki.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes or until veggies are fork tender. Add jaggery sambar powder, and mix it well.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Add veggies to the cooked dal.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Add tamarind water to the cooked dal. Mix until well blended. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes on a medium-low flame.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen

TEMPERING

  • Assemble: ingredients for tempering..
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add all the ingredients one by one.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • As they start to crackle, add curry leaves..
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • And pour this tadka to the boiling dal.
    Sambar recipe- Ruchiskitchen
  • Mix and allow it to simmer for another 5-10 minutes.
    Sambar Recipe - Ruchiskitchen
  • Adjust seasonings and..
    Sambar Recipe - Ruchiskitchen
  • Serve hot with Warm instant rice idlis.
    Sambar Recipe - Ruchiskitchen

NUTRITION

Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 4g | Sodium: 35mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 13g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1535IU | Vitamin C: 55.9mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2.8mg
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided above is approximate. Variations may exist due to the ingredients/brands used. These numbers should be considered estimates, as they are not calculated by a registered dietician.
Author: Ruchi
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian

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Comments

  1. priya kulkarni says:

    So nice

  2. abida khan says:

    Great idli

  3. Kavya says:

    Idlis are my all time favourite breakfast👍

  4. Kalyani says:

    Nice

  5. Sourav says:

    Nice recipe .. your recipe is best…

  6. Aanand says:

    Sambar is looking wonderful

  7. Mom Mashhood says:

    Hi Ruchi,

    Sambar is looking very delicious in the pictures. I actually want to make it but I don’t know what is tuvar daal is. It is looking like a chana daal to me in the pictures. I live in Pakistan I haven’t heard the name tuvar daal.

    • Ruchi says:

      Thank you!
      It is tuvar dal. It is also called Arhar dal or pigeon peas. It’s very different from chana dal both in flavor and texture.

  8. Lee says:

    I cooked the lentils with turmeric powder and I thought it tasted bitter. I am new to Indian cooking, are pigeon peas suppose to be bitter or maybe the turmeric powder? Thank you so much for your feedback.

    • Ruchi says:

      Thanks for trying the recipe, Lee!
      Pigeon peas have a nutty flavor. But turmeric powder does have a pungent yet bitter flavor. Just wondering how much did you add to the recipe?

  9. Maddie says:

    Can this Sambar be kept frozen in the freezer?

  10. Sanjay says:

    Awesome Recipe, Very well explained and very good pics clearing all the doubts for me who is cooking for the first time for his wife ….
    Thanks you made our day… I made it for my wife on mother’s day to make her feel special she loved it 🙂

  11. rubby says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. It’s yummy and the taste is very authentic.

  12. Anjali Arora says:

    I made sambar using ur recipe with the medhu vadas and it was too good and delicious..