Sneha's Kitchen

South Indian Sambar

People in south of India love their sambar, there are people who crave for it even if they have had it just a day before. One of such people is my husband, he would have sambar 365 days and not complain about it! My mother-in-law can make sambar in her sleep, it comes to her that naturally. I am not much of a sambar girl myself, likes to have it with idli or dosa than with rice. But now, after so many times of cooking it, I think it is as easy as boiling water.

Like most people I used to think it is a mixture of dal, tamarind and vegetables but apparently it is not. Like every other dish this one needs the right amount of everything, well, that is what sambar lovers say!
1/2 cup toor dal, a handful of moong dal, 1/2 cup tamarind juice from a small lemon sized tamarind or 3/4tsp paste, vegetables like potato, carrot, brinjal, drumstick, cut in cubes, 1 large tomato, turmeric pwd, 4-5 tsp sambar pwd (any store brand you like), coriander leaves, curry leaves, mustard seeds, perungayam and salt.


Pressure cook dals with tomatoes, turmeric pwd, 2tsp sambar pwd, salt.
Boil water add turmeric pwd a little with all the vegetables. When the vegetables are half cooked add tamarind juice and sambar pwd, cook well. Add dal mixture and cook till you get the sambar consistency but don't boil more than needed (maybe 4-8min), it loses its flavor. Season with mustard, perungayam, curry leaves. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

You can make onion sambar with the same process, just saute the small onions with a little oil before adding them to tamarind water.

posted by Bhargavi @ 11:00 AM