🍲 Sambar – My Forever Obsession

🌸 My Story

Sambar… my another obsession. Honestly, if someone serves me sambar with idli while I’m in deep sleep, I’ll happily eat it without even opening my eyes!

The best sambars I’ve ever tasted were from my grandmother (my mom’s mom). She made them in such huge quantities that her fridge always had a giant vessel filled with sambar and a bowl of dosa batter waiting beside it. Every time we visited her, that sambar felt like a warm hug.

Over the years, I’ve tasted many types of sambar, but nothing ever matched my grandmother’s magic. Still, I’ve slowly made peace with my own version—sometimes with store-bought sambar powder (on lazy days), and sometimes with a freshly ground homemade masala (when I want it the authentic way).

Also, unlike the traditional recipe, I use a mix of masoor dal and moong dal instead of toor dal, because toor causes acidity for my husband. And yes, I also add potato 🥔—because that’s my all-time favorite.

Here’s how I make it 👇

🌿 Ingredients (serves 4–5)

For the dal base:

• ½ cup masoor dal
• ¼ cup yellow moong dal
• ¼ tsp turmeric powder
• 3 cups water

Vegetables (cut medium):

• Drumsticks (muringakka)
• Pumpkin / ash gourd
• Brinjal
• Carrot, beans, okra, cucumber
• 1–2 tomatoes
• 1 potato (my favorite addition 🥔)

Tamarind water:

• Small lemon-sized ball of tamarind soaked in warm water → extract 1 cup juice

Option 1 – Using ready-made sambar powder:

• 2 tbsp sambar powder (store-bought)

Option 2 – Homemade sambar masala:

• ½ cup freshly grated coconut (not slit pieces)
• 2 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 tsp chana dal
• ½ tsp urad dal
• 3–4 dried red chilies
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• Pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• 1 tsp oil (to roast spices)

For tempering:

• 2 tsp coconut oil
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chilies
• Curry leaves (a sprig)

Salt – to taste

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👩‍🍳 Method

1. Cook the dals:
   • Wash and pressure cook masoor + moong dal with turmeric until soft. Mash well.
2. Cook vegetables:
   • Add harder vegetables (drumstick, pumpkin, potato, carrot) to a pot with little water, turmeric, and salt.
   • Once half-cooked, add softer veggies (brinjal, okra, tomatoes). Cook until just tender.
3. Add tamarind:
   • Pour tamarind water into the cooked veggies.
   • Simmer until raw smell disappears.
4. Add masala:
   • If using ready-made sambar powder, mix 2 tbsp in little water and add to tamarind-veggie mix.
   • If using homemade masala: roast coriander seeds, dals, chilies, fenugreek. Add coconut, hing, curry leaves. Roast till golden. Grind to a smooth paste with water. Add this paste to tamarind-veggie mix.
5. Combine:
   • Add cooked mashed dal. Mix everything. Simmer gently until sambar thickens and flavors blend.
6. Tempering:
   • Heat coconut oil, splutter mustard seeds, red chilies, and curry leaves.
   • Pour over the sambar and mix gently.

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🍛 Serving

Serve steaming sambar with idli, dosa, or plain rice. For me, it’s not just food—it’s comfort, nostalgia, and love served in a bowl.