Meals · Tamil Nadu

Sambar

Tamil Nadu's everyday toor dal and tamarind stew with drumstick, shallots and brinjal, made with a freshly roasted sambar powder.

Sambar

Prep 20 min · Cook 40 min · Total 60 min · Serves 6

Ingredients

Dal

  • ¾ cup Toor dal
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil

Sambar powder

  • 2 tbsp Coriander seeds
  • 1 tbsp Chana dal
  • 8 Dried red chillies
  • 1 tsp Cumin seeds
  • ½ tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • ½ tsp Black peppercorns
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 tsp Sesame oil

Vegetables

  • 2 Drumsticks, in 7 cm pieces
  • 12 Shallots (sambar onions), peeled
  • 2 Small brinjals, quartered
  • 1 Tomato, chopped
  • 2 Green chillies, slit
  • 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
  • 1 tsp Jaggery
  • 1 ½ tsp Salt

Tadka

  • 2 tbsp Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 2 Dried red chillies
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp Asafoetida
  • 2 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped

Method

  1. Cook the dal. Pressure-cook the dal with the turmeric, 1 tsp oil and 2 cups water for 4 whistles, or simmer covered for 40 minutes, until it collapses. Mash it smooth.
  2. Roast the powder. In 1 tsp oil over low heat, roast the chana dal and coriander seeds until the dal turns golden, then add the chillies, cumin, fenugreek, pepper and curry leaves for a minute more. Cool and grind to a fine powder.
  3. Cook the vegetables. In a heavy pot bring the tamarind water (made up to 2 cups), shallots, drumsticks, brinjals, green chillies and salt to a boil. Simmer until the drumsticks are tender and the raw tamarind smell has gone.
  4. Bring it together. Add the tomato, the mashed dal, the jaggery and 3 tbsp of the sambar powder. Loosen with hot water to a thick pouring consistency and simmer gently for 8 minutes; taste and add more powder if you want it stronger.
  5. Temper. Heat the tadka oil, crackle the mustard seeds, then add the fenugreek, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. Pour over the sambar, cover for a minute, and finish with coriander.
  6. Serve. Ladle over hot rice with a spoon of ghee, or serve with idli, dosa and vada. It thickens as it stands, so thin with hot water when reheating.

Tips

Keep the leftover sambar powder in a jar for up to a month. Add the powder only after the tamarind has boiled, or the sambar can taste raw and flat.