JollyRoses
Dals & Curries · South Indian

Vegetable Sambar

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A South Indian sambar recipe: toor dal and mixed vegetables simmered in tamarind broth with homemade sambar powder. For idli, dosa and rice.

By The JollyRoses Kitchen · Updated

Prep
20 min
Cook
1 hr
Total
1 hr 20 min
Serves
6
Vegan Medium Side Dish
Cook it
White bowl of lentil stew with greens and a drumstick, beside dried red chilies, split lentils and garlic
Photo: Kalyani Akella on Unsplash · photo shows a similar dish

Sambar is a tangy lentil and vegetable stew from South India, made with toor dal, tamarind and a roasted spice blend called sambar powder. It is served as a side with idli, dosa and vada at breakfast, and poured over steamed rice at lunch.

This version includes a quick homemade sambar powder, which gives the freshest flavor. Store-bought sambar powder works too and cuts about 10 minutes from the recipe.

Why this recipe works

  • Roasting and grinding the sambar powder yourself gives it a fresh, toasty aroma, and you control the heat.
  • Vegetables simmer in the tamarind broth before the dal goes in, so they absorb flavor and cook evenly.
  • A final tempering of mustard seeds, dried chilies and curry leaves in hot oil is added at the end for aroma.
  • Thickness is easy to adjust: thicker for rice, slightly thinner for dipping idli.

Vegetable Sambar recipe

By The JollyRoses Kitchen · 1 hr 20 min total · Medium

Ingredients

Servings 6

For the homemade sambar powder (makes about ⅓ cup)

For the sambar

For the tempering

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker or Instant Pot (or a heavy saucepan)
  • Large pot
  • Small skillet for roasting and tempering
  • Spice grinder
  • Whisk or potato masher

Instructions

  1. Cook the dal

    Pressure cooker: combine the dal, 2 cups water and the turmeric and cook for 4–5 whistles, or 10–12 minutes at high pressure in an Instant Pot with natural release. Stovetop: simmer the dal with 3 cups water and the turmeric, partly covered, for 40–50 minutes, stirring now and then, until completely soft. Mash or whisk until smooth.

  2. Make the sambar powder

    While the dal cooks, heat the 1 teaspoon oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Roast the chana dal until light golden, then add the coriander, cumin, fenugreek, peppercorns and chilies and stir until fragrant and a shade darker, 3–4 minutes. Add the curry leaves for the last 30 seconds until crisp. Cool completely, then grind to a fine powder with the turmeric.

  3. Soak the tamarind

    Soak the tamarind in the 1 cup hot water for 10 minutes, then squeeze it with your fingers and strain the liquid, pressing on the pulp. Discard the fibers. If using concentrate, simply stir it into the hot water.

  4. Simmer the vegetables

    In a large pot, combine the vegetables, tomato, tamarind water, 1 cup water and the salt. Bring to a boil and simmer, covered, until the vegetables are just tender, 10–12 minutes. Add okra and eggplant a few minutes after the harder vegetables if using them.

  5. Add the spice and dal

    Stir the sambar powder into a few spoonfuls of water to make a paste and add it to the pot. Simmer for 2 minutes until the raw smell is gone. Stir in the mashed dal and jaggery, add water to reach your preferred thickness, and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt.

  6. Temper and finish

    Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds; when they crackle, add the fenugreek, dried chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida and stir for a few seconds. Pour the sizzling tempering into the sambar, stir in the cilantro and turn off the heat.

Tips for the best vegetable sambar

  • Cook the dal until it is completely soft and mashes smooth. Undercooked dal stays grainy and the sambar never thickens properly.
  • Do not boil hard after adding the dal; it can catch on the bottom and scorch. A gentle simmer is enough.
  • Sambar thickens as it cools. Thin leftovers with hot water when reheating.
  • Roast the sambar powder spices on low heat and keep stirring. Burnt coriander or fenugreek makes the whole pot bitter.
  • Store leftover homemade sambar powder in an airtight jar away from light and use within about 2 months for the best aroma.

Substitutions

Homemade sambar powder2–3 tablespoons store-bought sambar powder; brands vary in heat, so start with less.
Tamarind pulp1 teaspoon tamarind concentrate, adjusted to taste. Concentrates vary in strength.
Toor dalMasoor dal (red lentils), which cooks faster on the stovetop, about 20 minutes. The flavor is milder.
Neutral oil for temperingGhee for a richer flavor (no longer vegan).

Storing and reheating

Cool and refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours of cooking. Keeps for up to 4 days in the fridge, or freeze for up to 3 months (vegetables soften a little). Reheat until steaming hot, thinning with hot water as needed.

What to serve with vegetable sambar

Frequently asked questions

What is sambar made of?
Sambar is made from toor dal (split pigeon peas) cooked with vegetables in a tamarind broth, flavored with sambar powder and finished with a tempering of mustard seeds, dried chilies and curry leaves.
What is the difference between sambar and rasam?
Sambar is thicker and heartier, with plenty of dal and vegetables. Rasam is a thin, peppery tamarind and tomato broth, often sipped or mixed with rice.
Which vegetables are best for sambar?
Drumstick, okra, eggplant, pumpkin, carrot, pearl onions or shallots, and radish are all common. Use a mix of two or three, or just one, as is often done with onion sambar.
Can I make sambar without sambar powder?
Not if you want the classic flavor, because sambar powder is what makes it sambar. You do not need a store-bought jar, though: the homemade powder in this recipe takes about 10 minutes from whole spices most Indian pantries already have.
Why is my sambar bitter?
The usual cause is over-roasted fenugreek or coriander in the spice powder, or too much fenugreek in the tempering. Roast on low heat and stop as soon as the spices smell toasty.

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