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.

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