Sambar

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the toor dal under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. Put it in a saucepan with the water, chopped tomato, turmeric powder, and half the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming off any foam if needed.

   120 g toor dal900 ml water150 g tomato, chopped1/4 tsp turmeric powder1 tsp salt
2. 2

   Lower to a lively simmer, partially cover, and cook for 10 minutes. Stir once or twice so the dal does not catch on the bottom.

3. 3

   Add the eggplant and drumstick pods. Continue simmering for 10-12 minutes, until the dal is very soft and the vegetables are tender. The drumstick should be cooked through but still hold its shape.

   120 g eggplant, cut into 2 cm cubes150 g drumstick pods, cut into 5 cm pieces
4. 4

   While the dal cooks, mix the tamarind paste with the hot water in a small bowl. Stir in the sambar powder and jaggery or brown sugar until dissolved.

   20 g tamarind paste80 ml hot water2 tsp sambar powder1 tsp jaggery or brown sugar
5. 5

   When the dal is soft, mash it lightly with the back of a spoon or whisk a few times in the pot; this gives sambar its characteristic body while leaving some texture. Pour in the tamarind mixture and add the remaining salt to taste. Simmer for 5 minutes; the raw edge of the tamarind should disappear and the broth should smell rounded and savoury.

   1 tsp salt
6. 6

   For the tempering, heat the neutral oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the black mustard seeds and let them crackle. Add the cumin seeds, dried red chilli, curry leaves, and asafoetida; fry for 15-20 seconds until fragrant. Keep your face back, as the curry leaves may splutter.

   1 tbsp neutral oil1 tsp black mustard seeds1/2 tsp cumin seeds1 dried red chilli10 leaves curry leaves1 pinch asafoetida
7. 7

   Immediately pour the hot tempering over the simmering sambar. Stir, then turn off the heat. Finish with fresh coriander and serve hot with steamed rice, idli, or dosa.

   2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped

Origin & History

Sambar is a classic South Indian lentil-and-vegetable stew eaten daily across Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Kerala, with many regional variations. It is typically served with rice, idli, dosa, or vada, and its balance of dal, tamarind, and spices makes it one of the defining dishes of South Indian home cooking.