How to Make Sambar
This simple sambar recipe uses basic Indian pantry staples and yields a very flavorful sambar which is perfect to go with your favorite idlis and dosa!
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Don’t let the long list of ingredients intimidate you- making sambar at home is easier than you think. My sambar recipe is simple, yet it scores high on taste and flavor. Made with lentils and vegetables, this sambar is spicy, tangy, and has a hint of sweetness from the jaggery. It’s best enjoyed with soft, fluffy homemade idlis or crispy masala dosa.
My fondest memories of eating idli with coconut chutney and dosa are from a small restaurant in Chennai, India where I used to go with my dad when I was 10 years old. The city was called Madras back then. Every year, my dad and I would travel from Delhi to Madras and it would take us 36 hours by train to reach there. We would start our mornings with the softest idlis dunked in chutney and sambar. My love for south Indian food began right there.
Over the years, I have had countless bowls of sambar, some that I loved and some I didn’t care much for. I have also made sambar countless times at home, trying different techniques and ingredients. And before blogging it, I also tested it several times to make it easy yet flavorful. The sambhar recipe that I am sharing with you is the one that I feel is the simplest of all yet tastes good. I don’t like watery sambar so the consistency of this sambar is slightly on the thicker side. You can always adjust the consistency as per your preference.
Ingredients Required
Here are the key ingredients required to make a sambar.
- Lentil (dal): Lentils form the base of sambar. Usually it’s made with toor dal (split pigeon peas lentil) but can also be made by mixing moong and toor dal or masoor (red lentils) and toor dal.
- Vegetables: a number of vegetables are traditionally used in sambar like pearl onion, tomatoes, pumpkin, eggplant, drumstick, carrots, okra etc. Using different vegetables makes the sambar flavorful. However, my recipes doesn’t use a ton of veggies. I use tomato, drumstick, eggplant and carrots. You can add more veggies as you like.
Manali’s Tip
I don’t like mushy vegetables in my sambar and prefer they still have a bite to them. The texture of the vegetables really impacts the overall flavor of the dish in my opinion. That’s why I like to cook them in an open pan for a few minutes, just enough to help them hold their shape.
- Sambar powder: the taste of the sambar depends heavily on the sambar powder which is a spice mix made by grinding several spices. Use your favorite brand of sambar powder or make one at home (see recipe below).
- Tamarind & Jaggery: these ingredients add the little tartness & sweetness to the sambar respectively.
- Final Tadka: and a good tadka (tempering) at the end with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing is what makes the sambar so delicious! I like using ghee for the tadka in my sambar. You can use oil if you want to keep this recipe vegan.
Homemade Sambar Powder
In case you can’t find sambar powder, here’s a quick recipe to make it at home.
In a pan over medium heat, dry roast the following spices in a pan on medium heat until fragrant, around 3 to 4 minutes.
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 2 dried red chilies (or more to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 clove
Let cool and then grind to a powder. Store in an airtight container and use as needed.
Let’s Make Sambar at Home
Here’s how to make my simple sambar recipe at home which actually tastes good!
Storage and reheating: Leftover sambar will stay good in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will thicken considerably in the refrigerator. I would recommend adding some water to it while re-heating. You can reheat in the microwave or over the stove-top.
You can also freeze the sambar. Don’t do the tadka if you plan to freeze it. I would also skip eggplant in the sambar if I plan to freeze. Eggplant doesn’t freeze as well in my experience. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and then do the tadka on the day you plan to eat it.
Simple Sambar Recipe (That Actually Tastes Good)
Ingredients
To Pressure Cook the Dal
- 1 cup toor dal/arhar dal pigeon peas lentil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water 24 oz
Tamarind Juice
- 1 tablespoon tamarind piece
- ⅓ cup hot water
For Cooking The Vegetable
- 2 teaspoons oil
- ½ cup chopped eggplant
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 7-8 drumsticks I used frozen ones that I got from Indian store
- ½ teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 3 cups water 24 oz
- 2 tablespoons sambar powder homemade or store bought, adjust to taste
- 2-3 teaspoons powdered jaggery
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder optional
Tadka/Tempering
- 1 tablespoon ghee or use oil
- ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds black
- ¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- 10-15 curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon cilantro chopped, to garnish
Instructions
- Wash 1 cup of toor dal and then add it to a stove-top pressure cooker along with ½ teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. Cook for 5 whistles on a medium-high flame, then lower the heat to medium-low and let it cook for another 5 to 6 minutes.Once the pressure releases naturally, open the cooker and mash the cooked dal lightly with a potato masher. Set aside.If using an Instant Pot, pressure cook for 9 minutes on high pressure and let the pressure release naturally.
- Soak a small tamarind piece (around 1 tablespoon) in 1/3 cup of hot water for around 20 minutes. Then strain the water after 20 minutes using a strainer. You will get 3 to 4 tablespoons of tamarind pulp. Set this aside.
- In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add ½ cup chopped eggplant cubes and cook for around 2 minutes.
- Add 2 medium carrots (diced), 7 to 8 frozen drumsticks (it’s a vegetable, do not confuse with chicken drumsticks) and ½ teaspoon salt and cook for 2 more minutes. Then add 1 medium chopped tomato and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add around 3 cups of (24 oz) water and stir and then add 2 tablespoons of sambar powder. You can add more to taste.
- Then add 2 to 3 teaspoons of jaggery powder (adjust to taste) along with 4 tablespoons of the tamarind pulp that you had extracted earlier
- Now, stir in the cooked dal. You can also add ½ teaspoon of Kashmiri red chili powder at this point (if using). Mix everything together with a spatula and let the sambar simmer on medium heat for 5 to 6minutes.
- To make the tadka, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee (or oil if you want to keep this vegan), in a small pan on medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add ¾ teaspoon of mustard seeds and let them pop.
- Then add ¼ teaspoon of hing and 10 to 15 curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds until leaves turn crisp.Pour the tadka over the simmering sambar. Mix well and garnish with 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro.
Video
Notes
- This recipe isn’t vegan as it uses ghee in the final tadka. If you want to keep this vegan, use oil in place of ghee in the tadka. The rest of the recipe remains same.
- If you don’t have a pressure cooker, you can cook the dal on stove-top. I would recommend soaking the dal for 2 hours and then adding it to a pot with 3 to 4 cups water. Cook the dal on medium heat until it’s very soft. This will take around 30 minutes on stove-top. You will have to remove the white foam with help of a skimmer that will keep forming on top as the dal cooks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks great! Is using tamarind paste and option and how would you recommend using it?
sure, use 1 teaspoon and go from there and more as needed. If it’s the concentrate then use even less amount.
1)Do you have the stove top version? No pressure cooker or instant pot.
2)How much water & cook how long for the lentil?
3)When using fresh moringa how do you clean & cut?
4)When using dried kashmiri chilli instead of powder. Do you need to soak to soften then scissor cut to remove stem & seed & clean it?
1) I don’t have a stove-top version.
2) But to cook the lentils on stovetop, soak them for 4 hours, then drain water, add to a pot, add around 2 cups water and cook until the lentils are very soft. We want them very soft for sambar. Will probably take around 30 mins on stovetop.
3) wash the fresh drumstick, trim the ends and then cut into desired shape. You can peel it if you want.
4) discard the stem, then soak. we grind the whole chilies, no need to remove the seeds.
What exactly are the “7-8 drunmsticks”?? Drumsticks of what??
drumstick is a type of vegetable that we use in India in dishes like sambar. It’s drumsticks of nothing, it’s just drumstick, also called moringa. Hope that helps.
Very tasteful. Good recipe 👍
Thanks Ramya
Great recipe. Ty for sharing.
I enjoyed this recipe, now I am eating too much sambas, I eat alone no rice , idles or dosas
glad you like it!
1 cup equals how much ??
I live in US, 1 cup is 8z/240 ml
My first attempt and it came out beautifully 👌. I omitted the sugar though
thanks for the feedback!
If you don’t have a pressure cooker can you do this on a stove ?
cook the dal first on stove-top until it’s completely cooked and very soft, should take 30-45 minutes. Then follow the recipe as is
Great recipe and you gave very simple instructions so easy to follow. Thanks!
Amazing
Thanks Manali. I am great fan of your recipes. Be it palak paneer, sambhar, malai kofta, etc, simply love them all.
Thanks a ton for sharing all these with us. Keep posting new ones 😍🤗❣
Thank you Tanvi, appreciate the support!
Hi Manali!
First of all, I love your website and recipes! Also, how can I make this without a pressure cooker or without an Instant Pot?
Thanks!
I would say soak the dal for few hours or overnight and then first cook the dal in a pan until it’s completely cooked/mashed consistency. If you have soaked it, should cook in 40-45 minutes. Then same steps.
All these years I had cooking sambar the way my mum does it. We liked it and had no reason to change. Last week, out of curiosity I tried your recipe. My hubby, daughter and me love it! Definetely a recipe I would keep. Thank you.
Awesome! Tastes just perfect..
Thank you Manali..I tried this recipe yesterday..awesome taste ….Better then hotel one..
glad to know!
A few suggestions when you make your sambar next time.
1. Use only one vegetable. Each vegetable gives a characteristic flavour that is unique. In our homes we just don’t say sambar but brinjal sambar, drumstick sambar, okra sambar, pearl onion sambar. And each is considered as a different in their own might as they give different flavour profiles.
2. Next time, instead of sambar powder, try the ground coconut version of sambar, the original version of sambar.
Thanks for your suggestions.
Hello Manali,
The recipe is great. Even my wife loved it.
I would suggest adding some coconut milk/cream and a bit more tamarind.
coconut milk or cream is not traditionally used in sambar, but sure if you want add it
Hi, under preparing the spices you list one tablespoon of chana dal. When I look that up I’m directed to a different recipe for a dish called chana dal. What is the spice to which you are referring?
Thanks.
In India chana dal is both- an ingredient (a type of lentil) and the final dish that’s made using that lentil is also called chana dal. Dal is just a term we in India use for both the ingredient and also the dish. I am referring to chana dal only (not the dish, the lentil that you can buy at Indian grocery store). Hope it clears it up.
This sambar recipe actually gets more than 5 stars from me! So simple, amazingly flavorful and very fast to come together!!!
Thank you for this awesome recipe! I used carrots and celery, since thats all I had.
glad you liked it!
Thanks Manali. This is a great recipe. Simpler than other versions and restaurant quality. Top drawer!
awesome!
Thanks. The sugar worked great. The sambar came out great, everyone in my family enjoyed it. I didn’t have eggplant so I used a small potato instead.
I am going to make this today. I don’t have any jaggery. Is there anything I can substitute for it?
sugar, if you have brown sugar use that else white is fine too.
Hi Manali,
Thank you so much for putting this up – i cooked sambar this morning for breakfast ad it turned out amazing. Everyone in the family said that they had never eaten such great sambar before and thats why i am commenting here to thank you (though i am usually lazy to comment on recipes on the internet). It was super easy, quick to cook and tasty.
Thank you
glad to know Sonakshi!
I tried this recipe today and it came pretty well. Thanks for nicely breaking down the recipe making it easier to follow.
Tried this recipe today. I cooked sambhar first time in my life and i cane out super delicious. All the credit goes to you. Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Tried this recipe 3 times now. Best sambar I have made, tastes delicious. My wife loves it too! Thank you Manali!
awesome 🙂
Hey Manali ,I am looking forward to try this sambar recipe..as I have tried many of your recipes and they have turned out to be super tasty always. I just have one question regarding the alternative of “drumsticks” and can I add more vegetables other than mentioned ?
skip the drumsticks and yes you can add whatever veggies you want!
Hi its smitra
Ur recipe rocks… One can easily learn sambr from ur video… Its delicious nd recipe s too easy to remember ..
I love this and will definite make it as it sounds so healthy and delicious. Please keep smiling as you are as beautiful as your recipes!????
Hello Manali
This is shobha I tried your sambhar recipe and coconut chatny and it turned out the best that I haven’t eaten sambhar like this my husband was very please too
Thank you very much
welcome Shobha 🙂
Can we prepare without curry leaves
yes but they are highly recommended in Sambar!
I tried your recipe word by word. It came out so well. Thanks for sharing.
Your sambar recipe seems amazing – Can you recommend any good Sambar powder that I can buy? Or is it better if I make it from the ingredients you recommended above. Thank you.
try 777 or mtr brand or make your own 🙂
Omgggggg I cannot thank you enough. This recipe is amazing! My hubby loved the sambhar. Thank you thank you.
Hey Manali,
I tried this recipe and it was one of the best Sambhar anyone in my home ever had. Loved it. Following your recipes has been really fruitful for me and it makes everyone in my home super happy, like literally fighting for the last bite: P I tried your kadhai paneer and a couple of other recipes as well. You are truly a savior
Thanks for the kind words Ishita! Glad you all enjoyed the sambar!
Thank you for your amazing and well defined recepie. I love idli with chetney and sambhar.i will try this rrcepie.From Daman India
Wonderful!!! Can you please share an instant pot version of making sambar?
Thanks,
Megha
Hi Megha, the recipe for Instant Pot Sambar is in my cookbook 🙂
Hi Manali,
Instead of tamarind, can I use lemon juice?
you may try 🙂
This was AMAZING. So much better than any Sambar I have had in restaurants. I did add a slit green chili and a LOT of Kashmiri Chili Powder though because I like it hot.
I am just a middle aged white woman who loves to cook adventurously and your site has proven to be an excellent source of recipes. I also love that you add the nutritional information….may I ask how you get that information about your dishes?
Hi Tina, glad you liked the recipe. The nutritional information is calculated automatically by a plugin, so it’s not 100% accurate but a rough estimate.
will the flavor be different if i don’t use drumsticks? I live in a place where that is not easily available.
you can skip it
Planning to make this – thank you for sharing. If I use tamarind paste instead of sailing tamarind pieces, thoughts on how much paste to use? Thanks!
use 2-3 teaspoons and then adjust to taste as needed
The recipe turned out really good. I have tried so many recipes of sambhar before but to no avail. This is simple and very tasty. Thank you!
Just returned from a vacation with friends in Tamil Nadu. I immediately missed the home cooked Sambar accompanying every meal. I was able to follow this recipe to make it at home. My first try turned out perfect, so I never have to leave the memories behind.
glad to hear
I tried this sambar n it turned out tobe great.V tasty like restaurant
Delicious ? thank you! Makes me feel like I can cook South Indian food!
Very good recipe today I am making 2nd time
By drumsticks, do you mean chicken? Thanks.
Oh. It’s a type of vegetable?
no it is a type of vegetable used in South Indian cooking https://food.ndtv.com/ingredient/drumstick-701219
Wao amazing, I loved this, made last Sunday for my guests and they also liked, thank you so much for sharing.
good to know!
Loved it. Thanks for all your super detailed recipes…. Am a new cook n yes, your recipes are a ton of help
glad you liked it!
I feel d same .. I’m a new cook
Too. Need all d details … it becomes so easy.. no confusion ??
I’ve tried several different recipes and I like this one the best. My husband said it tasted better than in the restaurants.
so glad to know!
Hello
I like &love to prepare cook the vegetable sambar
with rice,idli and dosa so very good taste, better eat breakfast for good health..?????? Brahmin vegetarian dishes only ..