Sambar
A delicious gluten-free, vegan Sambar recipe to serve with Idli, dosa or vadas.
Servings: 6
Ingredients
Sambar Masala
- 1 1/2 cup coriander seeds
- 10 nos dried chillies
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp chana dal (chick-pea lentils)
- 1 tbsp urad dal
- 1 tbsp toor dal (piegon peas)
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds
- 2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida
- 4 sprigs curry leaves
Ingredients for Sambar:
- 1/4 cup mung lentils
- 1/2 cup pigeon peas (toor dal)
- 1 onion diced
- 1 inch ginger crushed
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 cup radish diced (optional)
- 1 nos tomato diced
- 3 nos boiled drumsticks peeled and cut in 2 inch pieces
- 1 nos potato medium diced
- 2 tbsp sambar masala
- 1 piece tamarind
- 1 tsp jaggery powder optional
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 piece dried chilli
- 1 tsp or to taste red chilli powder
- A few curry leaves
- 2 tsp oil
- salt to taste
- 1 1/2 cup water
- coriander for garnishing
Instructions
Instructions for masala:
- In a heavy-bottomed pan, dry roast the coriander seeds on a low flame until fragrant or light brown colour. Add the asafoetida to the coriander seeds and continue roasting for a few seconds or until fragrant. Transfer it to a plate. Add the turmeric powder to the roasted coriander seeds and let it cool.
- Dry roast the curry leaves until crisp. Keep them aside.Then roast the red chillies for a few seconds and keep them aside.Dry roast all the ingredients one by one until they are light golden brown in colour and fragrant.Let them cool completely.
- Grind the roasted ingredients into a fine powder.Let the ground powder cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Instructions for sambar:
- Soak the tamarind in water and squeeze well to extract the juice and set aside.
- Pressure cook the rinsed moong and pigeon lentils with 2 cups water for 3 whistles or boil in 5 cups of water till it’s cooked. Mash the cooked dal and set aside.
- Heat oil in a pot, add in the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and let them splutter. Add in the asafoetida and cumin seeds. Add in half of the curry leaves, onions and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes.
- Now add in the potatoes, radish, drumsticks, and cook till the potatoes are halfway cooked. Now add in the red chilli powder, sambar masala and salt.
- Saute for 2 more minutes. Now add the mashed lentils, jaggery, tomatoes, tamarind and water.
- Boil the sambar for 5 minutes and then add the green peas and let it boil for another for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander and serve hot with idlis.