Sambar – south Indian lentil stew made with vegetables, lentils and a special blend of spices.
It’s best enjoyed with rice, idli or dosa. Don’t let the list of ingredients intimidate you, it’s actually easy to put together!
When we eat South Indian food in restaurants, my focus is always more on the sambar and chutneys than the idli and dosa.
Sure, I love my idli and dosa but a good sambar and chutney makes all the difference in my opinion.
Unfortunately, most of the restaurants here make really bad sambar. It’s usually tasteless and lacks flavor. So I compensate for the lack of it by making a good sambar at home.
My sambar recipe is pretty basic and straight forward. I don’t use a ton of veggies either but I can promise that this make a good basic sambar.
What is Sambar
Sambar is a lentil and vegetable stew, most popular in South India.
Even though I am not south Indian, I have always loved it as far as I can remember. So, I guess it’s safe to say it’s popular all across India.
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.
You can cook the dal either in a stove top pressure cooker or Instant Pot.
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.
Always remember to not overcook the veggies for your sambar. They should hold their shape and not become mushy.
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.
And that’s pretty much it what you need to make sambar at home. The consistency of sambar can be adjusted to preference.
Some like really thin sambar while others prefer it thick. I prefer mine on the thicker side.
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.
Serving Suggestions for Sambar
Sambar is served traditionally with idli, dosa, vada, rice.
But honestly you can eat it with anything you like. I also eat it with my roti, quinoa, brown rice!
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Method
1- To a pressure cooker, add the rinsed dal with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups of water. Cook for 5 whistles on 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 with natural pressure release.
2- Meanwhile soak 1 tablespoon tamarind piece in 1/3 cup of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes.
3- Then strain the liquid using a strainer.
4- You will get 3 to 4 tablespoons of tamarind water/juice. Set it aside.
5- In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped eggplant and cook for around 2 minutes.
6- Add carrots and frozen drumsticks and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 more minutes.
7- Add the chopped tomato and cook for 1 minute.
8- Then add around 3 cups (24 oz) water and stir.
9- Add 2 tablespoons sambar powder (or adjust to taste).
10- Also add jaggery powder, again adjust to taste.
11- Add 4 tablespoons of the tamarind water that you had extracted earlier.
12-Stir in the cooked dal.
13- Also add the kashmiri red chili powder, if using.
14- Stir everything together and let the sambar simmer on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
15- For the tempering, heat 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil if you want to keep this vegan), in a small pan on medium heat. Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds and let them pop.
Then add the hing and curry leaves for stir for few seconds until leaves turn crisp.
16- Pour tempering over the simmering sambar.
Serve the sambar hot with idli, dosa or rice!
If you’ve tried this Sambar Recipe then don’t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram to see what’s latest in my kitchen!
Sambar
Ingredients
To Pressure Cook the Dal
- 1 cup toor dal/arhar dal pigeon peas lentil
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups water 24 oz
Tamarind Juice
- 1 tablespoon tamarind piece
- 1/3 cup hot water
For Cooking The Vegetable
- 2 teaspoons oil
- 1/2 cup chopped eggplant
- 2 medium carrots diced
- 7-8 drumsticks I used frozen ones that I got from Indian store
- 1/2 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
- 1/2 teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder optional
Tadka/Tempering
- 1 tablespoon ghee or use oil
- 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds black
- 1/4 teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
- 10-15 curry leaves
- chopped cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- To a pressure cooker, add the rinsed dal with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups (24 oz) of water. Cook for 5 whistles on 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 with natural pressure release.
- Meanwhile soak 1 tablespoon tamarind piece in 1/3 cup of hot water for 15 to 20 minutes. Then strain the liquid using a strainer. You will get 3 to 4 tablespoons of tamarind water/juice. Set it aside.
- In a pan, heat 2 teaspoons oil on medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped eggplant and cook for around 2 minutes.
- Add carrots and frozen drumsticks and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chopped tomato and cook for 1 minute.
- Then add around 3 cups (24 oz) water and stir.
- Add 2 tablespoons sambar powder (or adjust to taste). Also add jaggery powder, and 4 tablespoons of the tamarind water that you had extracted earlier.
- Stir in the cooked dal. Also add the kashmiri red chili powder, if using.
- Stir everything together and let the sambar simmer on medium heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
- For the tempering, heat 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil if you want to keep this vegan), in a small pan on medium heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the hing and curry leaves for stir for few seconds until leaves turn crisp.
- Pour tempering over the simmering sambar.
- Serve the sambar hot with idli, dosa or rice!
Video
Notes
- Use oil in place of ghee in the final tadka to make this recipe vegan.
- You can also use a mix of toor and moong dal to make this sambar.
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 ..
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!
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!
Wao amazing, I loved this, made last Sunday for my guests and they also liked, thank you so much for sharing.
good to know!
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
Very good recipe today I am making 2nd time
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!
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
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!
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
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
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.
Hi Manali,
Instead of tamarind, can I use lemon juice?
you may try 🙂
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 🙂
Thank you for your amazing and well defined recepie. I love idli with chetney and sambhar.i will try this rrcepie.From Daman India
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!
Omgggggg I cannot thank you enough. This recipe is amazing! My hubby loved the sambhar. Thank you thank you.
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 🙂
I tried your recipe word by word. It came out so well. Thanks for sharing.
Can we prepare without curry leaves
yes but they are highly recommended in Sambar!
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 🙂
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!💗💗💗💗
Hi its smitra
Ur recipe rocks… One can easily learn sambr from ur video… Its delicious nd recipe s too easy to remember ..
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!
Tried this recipe 3 times now. Best sambar I have made, tastes delicious. My wife loves it too! Thank you Manali!
awesome 🙂
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.
I tried this recipe today and it came pretty well. Thanks for nicely breaking down the recipe making it easier to follow.
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 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.