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A bowl of traditional South Indian vegetable soup, resembling a delicious sambar recipe, with a spoon, garnished with cilantro, beside a small bowl of cilantro and a white cloth on a light surface.

Traditional South Indian Sambar Recipe

An asian woman smiling in front of a potted plant.Hannah Lee
A flavorful South Indian lentil-based vegetable stew, traditionally served with dosa or rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Meal Type Side Dishes
Cuisine Indian, South Indian
Servings 4
Calories 284 kcal
Difficulty Medium
Ingredient Cost $6.50
Shopping Cost$37

Equipment

  • Pressure cooker or large pot
  • Frying pan
  • Mixing spoon

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup toor dal split pigeon peas
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
  • 2 cups mixed vegetables carrots, potatoes, eggplant, okra
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 tomato chopped
  • 2 tablespoons sambar powder
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • ¼ teaspoon asafoetida hing
  • Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Instructions
 

Cook the dal:

  • Rinse the toor dal and cook it in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water and turmeric powder until soft. Alternatively, cook in a pot until the dal is tender.
    1 cup toor dal, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

Prepare the tamarind water:

  • Soak tamarind paste in 1/2 cup of warm water for 10 minutes. Squeeze and strain to extract the juice.
    1 tablespoon tamarind paste

Cook the vegetables:

  • In a large pot, add the mixed vegetables, chopped onion, tomato, sambar powder, and salt. Pour in 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Simmer until the vegetables are tender.
    2 cups mixed vegetables, 1 onion, 1 tomato, 2 tablespoons sambar powder, Salt to taste

Combine dal and vegetables:

  • Add the cooked dal and tamarind juice to the pot with vegetables. Mix well and simmer for another 10 minutes to blend the flavors.

Prepare the tempering:

  • In a frying pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida. Fry until the mustard seeds splutter.
    2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 dried red chilies, 1 sprig curry leaves, 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

Finish and serve:

  • Pour the tempering over the sambar and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve hot with dosa, idli, or rice.
    Fresh coriander leaves

Notes

Adjust the consistency of sambar by adding more water if needed.
Use seasonal vegetables for variety.

Nutrition

Calories: 284kcalCarbohydrates: 43gProtein: 13gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0.03gSodium: 82mgPotassium: 364mgFiber: 11gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 5148IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 66mgIron: 3mg
Keyword Comfort Food, Sambar, South Indian Stew, Traditional Recipe

Ingredient Costs: Cost of Recipe by Ingredient Measurements

Shopping Costs: Cost of Recipe with Brand New Ingredient Purchases

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