Easy Sambar, is a quintessential South Indian dish beloved for its rich, flavorful, and nutritious qualities. It is a lentil-based vegetable stew typically enjoyed as a main course or a side dish. Sambar is known for its tangy, spicy, and aromatic flavor profile, which makes it a staple in many South Indian households.
Sambar can be prepared in various ways, depending on regional preferences and available ingredients. Here are some different methods of preparing sambar, each with its unique twist:
1. Traditional Tamil Nadu style preparation
- Ingredients: Toor dal, tamarind, sambar powder, vegetables (carrot, potato, drumstick, brinjal), mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, asafoetida.
- Method: Cook the toor dal until soft. In a separate pan, cook the vegetables with tamarind extract and sambar powder. Once the vegetables are tender, combine with the cooked dal. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Simmer and serve.
2. Udupi Style Preparation
- Ingredients: Toor dal, tamarind, coconut, roasted spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chilies), jaggery, vegetables (pumpkin, potato, beans), mustard seeds, curry leaves.
- Method: Cook the toor dal. Prepare a spice paste by grinding roasted spices with grated coconut. Cook the vegetables with tamarind extract and jaggery. Add the cooked dal and the spice paste to the vegetables. Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Simmer and serve.
3. Kerala Style Preparation
- Ingredients: Toor dal, tamarind, coconut, roasted spices (coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dried red chilies), shallots, mixed vegetables (carrot, potato, pumpkin), mustard seeds, curry leaves.
- Method: Cook the toor dal. Grind roasted spices with grated coconut to make a spice paste. Cook the vegetables with tamarind extract. Add the cooked dal and the spice paste. Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Simmer and serve.
4. Arachuvitta Sambar
- Ingredients: Toor dal, tamarind, fresh spice paste (coriander seeds, chana dal, dried red chilies, fenugreek seeds, grated coconut), vegetables (carrot, potato, drumstick), mustard seeds, curry leaves.
- Method: Cook the toor dal. Prepare a fresh spice paste by roasting and grinding the spices with coconut. Cook the vegetables with tamarind extract. Add the cooked dal and the fresh spice paste. Temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves. Simmer and serve.
5. Quick Sambar
- Ingredients: Toor dal, tamarind, sambar powder, mixed vegetables (carrot, potato, beans), mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, dried red chilies, and asafoetida.
- Method: Cook the toor dal. In a separate pot, cook the vegetables with tamarind extract and sambar powder. Combine with the cooked dal. Temper with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Simmer and serve.
Nutritional Benefits
Sambar is not only delicious but also nutritious. It is high in protein due to the lentils and packed with vitamins and minerals from the vegetables. The spices used in sambar powder, such as turmeric, have anti-inflammatory properties, and the dish is generally low in fat, making it a healthy addition to any diet.
Serving Suggestions
Sambar is traditionally served with rice, but it also pairs wonderfully with a variety of South Indian breakfast items like idli (steamed rice cakes), dosa (rice crepes), and vada (fried lentil doughnuts). It can also be enjoyed with chapati or roti, providing a versatile option for any meal.
Cultural Significance
Sambar holds a special place in South Indian cuisine and culture. It is a dish that brings families together, often prepared in large quantities for festivals, celebrations, and communal meals. The aroma of simmering sambar is a comforting and familiar scent in many South Indian homes, symbolizing warmth and hospitality.
In summary, sambar is a delicious, nutritious, and versatile dish that exemplifies the rich culinary traditions of South India. Its combination of lentils, vegetables, spices, and tamarind creates a flavorful stew that is enjoyed by people of all ages. Whether served with rice, idli, dosa, or vada, sambar remains a beloved staple in South Indian cuisine.
Easy Sambar: Simple and Flavourful
Ingredients
To cook Dal
For sambar Masala
For Tamarind pulp
Other ingredients for flavor
For Tadka
Preparation
- Wash and strain half a cup of Toor dal and transfer to a deep bottom Vessel, Add the vegetables along with shallots, Green chili, Garlic, Curry Leaves, Turmeric powder, Salt, and 4 cups of water.
- Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the veggies turn soft.
- While the veggies are cooking get ready with the other ingredients. For the masala add 3 tablespoons of sambar powder to a bowl along with 1 teaspoon of Kashmiri chili powder and half cup of water. Mix well and set aside.
- For sourness and tangy flavor extract tamarind pulp from a quarter cup of tamarind using 1 cup of water. Squeeze and extract the pulp set aside.
- After 15 to 20 minutes check over the veggies, when they turn soft add the prepared sambar Masala and tamarind pulp (strain and pour). Pour extra pulp if required after checking the sourness.
- Next, add a quarter teaspoon of Asafoetida and a small piece of Jaggery to Balance the sourness. Simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes and garnish with a handfull of coriander leaves.
- Next prepare Tadka, to a tadka pan pour oil, add mustard seeds as they splutter add dry red chili and curry leaves. Swirl around the tadka pan and pour tadka over the sambar. Stir well and sambar is ready to serve
- Serve it hot with Idli or sambar or with Rice.
