As promised in my previous post, here is my Sambar recipe prepared in a typical Kerala style, which I know you all have been eagerly waiting for since my last post on how to make a Sambar powder. So before I deep dive into the recipe, let’s talk about Sambar! It’s a South Indian vegetable stew which is flavorful, spicy n tangy, & relished as a side with any meal of the day. Sambar is a favorite all over the country but is more of a staple food in South India, and is best savored with Dosa, Idli, or Rice.

Sambar is prepared with Yellow lentils, tamarind, spices and mixed vegetables. The tanginess which comes from the tamarind is one of the highlights of the dish, but in many versions tomato is preferred, or sometimes a mix of both. Just like any other popular dish, Sambar has been widely adapted to suit the local palate in terms of flavour, spice levels, and the available local ingredients. Within Kerala itself there are a few varieties, and this recipe is a traditional version without the use of coconut, which is how my family cooks at home. Take a look at the North Kerala version and you will sometimes find ground roasted coconut among its ingredients. Keralites prefer the non-sweet versions with a balance of spice and tanginess, whereas in other states like Karnataka & Andhra a sweeter version with sugar or jaggery is popular too.

So what are the ingredients?

1. Spice mix: You can use my Homemade Sambar powder in this recipe, or prepare it then & there from scratch with a set of spices/ingredients (See Notes).
2. Vegetables: Your options are endless and need not worry if some of them are not available locally, refer my notes.

Sambar is also one of the key dishes in a Sadya; which is Kerala’s biggest vegetarian feast served on auspicious occasions. In short, it is a one-stop shop powerhouse of healthy nutrients and proteins, perfect for a craving hungry belly. Enjoy this delicious feast, Happy Cooking!!!

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Kerala Sambar/Mixed Vegetable Lentil Stew

Spicy & Tangy Stew with Yellow lentils, Tamarind and Mixed Vegetables! Sambar - A Hearty South Indian Delicacy…!! 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword mix vegetable curry, sambar, sambar powder

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• ½ cup toor dal (split pigeon pea / tuvara parippu)
• 1 medium sized onion (sliced into cubes)
• 2 green chilies (slit)
• 2 cups of mixed vegetables (see notes)
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp sambar powder
• tamarind extract (squeezed from a lemon sized ball)

For tempering

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2-3 dry red chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 pearl onions (sliced)
• 1 tsp asafetida (hing / kayam)

Instructions

• Wash and slice the mixed vegetables and onion into medium sized chunks.
• Into the pressure cooker, add toor dal, mixed vegetables, onions, green chilies, salt, turmeric powder, sambar powder, along with water enough to cover the vegetables, and cook for 2 whistles.
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool until all the pressure had been released.
• In the meantime, soak tamarind in ½ cup warm water for 5-7 minutes. Squeeze out the extract from the tamarind and keep the juice aside.
• Remove the lid from the cooker and turn on the heat to a medium flame. Add the tamarind juice and mix well, adjust the salt level as needed. Simmer on a low flame until the sambar thickens to the right consistency.
• While the sambar cooks, prepare the tempering in a separate pan. Add oil to the pan on a low/medium flame and splutter mustard seeds. Add pearl onions, curry leaves and dry red chilies, fry for a minute. Turn off the flame and add asafetida, stir to mix. Now pour the tempering into the cooker and mix the sambar well.
• Serve hot with dosa, idli or as a side dish along with rice.

Notes

1. Vegetable options : Potato, Yam, Carrot, Drumsticks, Yellow Cucumber, Snake gourd, Bottle gourd, Ivy gourd, Okra, Onions/Pearl onions.
2. The tanginess of the sambar can be adjusted by adding tamarind or tomato, or even a mix of both.
3.  If the asafetida you are using is grainy and not the powdered one, saute it for a few seconds along with the tempering ingredients.
4.  Even if you do not have sambar powder, you can still make a good sambar. In addition to the ingredients listed in the recipe, add the following to the cooker before pressure cooking:

• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1-2 tsp red chili powder
• 2 tsp asafetida (hing/kayam)
• Fenugreek powder (small pinch)

The post Kerala Sambar / Mixed Vegetable Lentil Stew appeared first on Pepper Delight.

Many of you know what Sambar is and would have either prepared it at home or cherished it at your favorite Indian restaurant. While cooking at home, most of us would have used a store bought Sambar powder, but have you ever given a thought of its ingredients or how it was made? So for all the sambar lovers out there, get ready to say goodbye to the store bought packets and let’s grind some fresh homemade Sambar Powder. And believe me, its sooo simple to prepare…!

Before I jump into our recipe of the day, let me explain what Sambar is to those who do not know. Sambar is a mixed vegetable stew made with yellow lentils, spices & vegetables, and is a quintessential dish in Indian cuisine. The preparation and flavors slightly differ across the length and breadth of the country, ranging from light and sweet versions to thick and savory ones. It is mainly consumed as a side dish with any meal of a day. In Kerala, sambar is also served as one of the main curries for Sadya; which is the biggest vegetarian feast on all auspicious occasions.

Sambar can be made with a readymade powder mix (store bought or homemade) or just by adding the spices directly while cooking. But homemade sambar powder always make a huge difference in terms of flavor and aroma and elevates the dish overall. Thanks to my mother-in-law for sharing this recipe, it has made my sambar cooking much easier and flavorful since then.

Coming to the recipe, this DIY Sambar powder is very easy to prepare. The key to its preparation is the slow roasting of spices and lentils, make sure to roast them individually as their burning points differs and you might otherwise end up burning it. Grind the roasted ingredients to a fine powder, and your sambar powder is ready… all set to be stored and used for months together.

I will be uploading my Sambar recipe using this sambar powder in my next post. So stay tuned…!!

Happy Cooking!!!

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Homemade Sambar Powder

Homemade Sambar Powder… A Grounded Blend of Roasted Spices and Lentils…!! Fresh & Aromatic. 

Course Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Keyword sambar, sambar powder

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• ¼ cup chana dal (split bengal gram / kadala parippu)
• 2 tbsp urad dal (split black gram / uzunnu parippu)
• ¼ cup coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp black pepper corns
• 1 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp asafetida (hing / kayam)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds (methi / uluva)
• 18-20 dry red chilies
• 8-10 curry leaves

Instructions

• Heat a pan on a low flame and start roasting the following individually one after the other; chana dal, urad dal, coriander seeds, black pepper corns, & fenugreek seeds. Roast them until they turn golden and aromatic, keep aside to cool.
• Add oil to the pan and roast dry red chilies and curry leaves for 1-2 minutes, then allow it to cool.
• Grind all the above roasted ingredients along with turmeric powder and asafetida, into a fine powder.
• Your sambar powder is ready, store in an airtight container at room temperature so that it lasts for 6 months.

Notes

• Make sure you roast all the ingredients on a low flame separately to avoid burning.
• If you are using the powdered form of turmeric and asafetida, no need to roast them. You can add them while grinding the other roasted ingredients.

The post Homemade Sambar Powder appeared first on Pepper Delight.