Sambar

South Indian Sambar

A tangy, soupy lentil stew from Tamil Nadu, simmered with tamarind, drumsticks and vegetables in a roasted-spice broth and finished with a fragrant curry-leaf tempering. It is the classic everyday accompaniment to idli, dosa and steamed rice.

Prep

15 min

Cook

45 min

Total

60 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Medium

Recipe ingredients

• •200 g (7 oz / 1 cup) toor dal (split pigeon peas), rinsed until water runs clear
• •1 l (4 cups) water, for pressure-cooking the dal
• •1 tsp turmeric powder
• •15 g (0.5 oz) tamarind pulp, seedless, soaked in 120 ml / ½ cup hot water for 15 minutes, then squeezed and strained
• •2 g dried red chillies (Byad or Kashmiri), for color; add 1 more if you want more heat
• •1 tbsp coriander seeds
• •1 tsp cumin seeds
• •1 tsp black peppercorns
• •4 whole fenugreek seeds
• •1 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)
• •2 g curry leaves, divided; half for the masala, half for the tempering
• •30 g (1 oz / approx. 3 tbsp) sambar powder, store-bought acceptable; see note
• •1 whole drumstick (moringa pod), cut into 7 cm / 3-inch lengths; substitute with 1 carrot or 200 g okra if unavailable
• •100 g (3.5 oz) small onion (shallots or pearl onions), peeled, whole or halved
• •1 whole ripe tomato, chopped
• •5 g (1 tsp) salt, adjust to taste
• •20 ml (4 tsp) sesame oil or ghee, for the masala
• •15 ml (1 tbsp) sesame oil or ghee, for the tempering
• •1 tsp mustard seeds
• •1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
• •2 g fresh curry leaves, for the tempering
• •2 whole dried red chillies, broken, for the tempering
• •10 g (¼ cup) fresh coriander leaves, chopped, to garnish

Steps

1. 1 Pressure-cook the dal: combine rinsed toor dal, 1 litre / 4 cups water and turmeric in a pressure cooker. Cook for 3–4 whistles (about 10–12 minutes on medium heat) until the dal is completely soft and mashable. If using a pot, simmer covered for 40–50 minutes, adding hot water as needed, until very tender. Whisk the cooked dal until smooth.
2. 2 Make the masala paste while the dal cooks. Dry-roast the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin, peppercorns, fenugreek and chana dal in a small pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and the chana dal is lightly golden. Add the first portion of curry leaves for the last 30 seconds. Cool slightly, then grind to a coarse powder; stir in the sambar powder and set aside.
3. 3 Prepare the tamarind water: soak 15 g seedless tamarind in 120 ml / ½ cup hot water for 15 minutes, mash with your fingers, then strain and reserve the liquid.
4. 4 Build the sambar: in a heavy pot, heat 20 ml / 4 tsp oil or ghee over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté 2 minutes until translucent. Add the chopped tomato and cook 3 minutes until soft.
5. 5 Stir in the roasted spice-and-sambar-powder mixture and 1 tablespoon of the cooked dal to form a thick paste; cook 30 seconds until the raw spice smell disappears.
6. 6 Pour in the tamarind water, the drumstick pieces, salt and 600 ml / 2½ cups water. Bring to a brisk boil, then simmer uncovered 8–10 minutes until the drumsticks are fork-tender (a skewer should slide in without resistance).
7. 7 Add the remaining mashed dal and enough water to reach a soupy, pourable consistency (about 1.2–1.5 litres / 5–6 cups total). Simmer 5 minutes to marry the flavors; adjust salt and sourness with more tamarind water if needed. The sambar should taste tangy, mildly spicy and well-seasoned.
8. 8 Make the tempering (tadka): in a small pan, heat 15 ml / 1 tbsp oil or ghee over medium-high. Add mustard seeds and wait until they pop (about 20 seconds). Add the broken dried red chillies, a pinch of asafoetida and the remaining curry leaves (stand back — they will sputter). Pour the entire sizzling tempering over the sambar.
9. 9 Cover immediately, rest 2 minutes, then stir through. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with idli, dosa or steamed rice.