A Udupi style lentil and vegetable stew aka sambhar is a spicy, hearty, and filling dish. Pair it with vada, rice, dosa, or idli and enjoy the yummy wholesome dish.
What is Sambhar?
Sambhar is a medley of Toor dal lentil along with a variety of vegetables, cooked on simmer until it becomes very delicious tangy, and spicy to serve. It is a very popular in South Indian and Srilankan cuisine. Generally, it is made with sambhar powder consisting of a coarse mix of spices like coriander, fenugreek, lentils, dry red chilies, curry leaves, and asafetida.
Udupi Sambhar
Udupi sambhar is a variation of sambhar made with seasonal vegetables and sambhar powder made using coconut, urad dal, and chana dal. The spice powder is available in the stores and can also be made easily at home.
Ingredients needed for udupi sambhar
The basic ingredients to make sambhar are listed below.
- Toor Dal: Pigeon pea/Toor dal/arhar dal is normally used to make sambhar, however, in the South India, they’d use all kinds of lentils and pulses.
- Vegetables: I prefer all mix and matches vegetables to add in my sambhar like carrots, bottle gourd, marrow, courgette, okra, beans, onions, tomato, onions, etc.
- Spices for sambhar powder: Fresh Coconut, dry red chilies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, rad dal, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, and a pinch asafetida.
- Jaggery / Sugar: To balance the spices.
- Tamarind: Tamarind adds the tanginess in the sambhar definitely needs this.
- Whole dried red chili: To add in tadka for extra flavor.
- Mustard seeds: For the tempering.
- Curry leaves: Fresh or dried both will do in the recipe.
- Oil: For the tempering but you can use ghee as well.
- Coriander leaves: Adds the freshness into the dish.
Did you know??
The popular South Indian dish Sambhar was actually invented by a Marathi.
How to make Udupi Sambhar?
Step 1. Wash and prepare lentils– Wash and drain the toor dal lentil. Now in a pressure cooker or saucepan, cook the dal with a pinch of salt and turmeric and once cooked mash it with a whisk.
Step 2. Prepare the veggies– Wash, peel and cut the vegetables. In another saucepan add the veggies, pinch of salt, and 2 cups water. Let the veggies be tender. Once the veggies are cooked add them in the cooked dal.
Step 3. Make sambhar powder– Dry roast all the ingredients for sambhar powder, Let them cool a bit and grind to make a powder.
Step 4. Add spices and tamarind– Add the sambhar powder, tamarind, and jaggery to the dal and vegetable mixture and cook for few more minutes.
Step 5. Make tempering– Heat oil in a small pan, add all the ingredients for tempering. Pour the tempering over the sambhar.
Step 6. Garnish– Add freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this comforting warm sambhar with plain boiled rice, idli, vada and or dosa as well.
Like Udupi sambhar, try these recipes…
Looking for more such South Indian Recipes to get some ideas for your lunch or dinner? Do not miss my Instant Wheat Dosa and Idli Recipe and the best one’s Millets Vada.
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Udupi Sambhar
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Pan
Ingredients
For Sambhar powder
- 1/4 cup coconut desiccated
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 tablespoon urad dal
- 1/2 tablespoon chana dal
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- a pinch asafetida
For Sambhar
- 1 cup toor/arhar/pigeon pea dal
- 1 carrot chopped
- 3-4 small eggplants chopped
- 1 drumstick chopped, optional
- 1 cup marrow/bottle gourd chopped
- 1 courgette chopped
- 4-5 okra cut in pieces
- 1 onion chopped
- 2-3 tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoon tamarind paste
- 1/2 tablespoon jaggery/sugar
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
For tempering
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- few curry leaves
- 2-3 dry red chilies
- a pinch asafetida
- few coriander leaves chopped
Instructions
- Dry roast all the ingredients for sambhar powder. Let them cool a bit and grind to make a powder.
- Pressure cook toor dal in 2 cups of water and with a teaspoon salt and turmeric powder for 2-3 whistles.
- Open the lid and mash the dal.
- In another saucepan add the veggies, pinch of salt, and 2 cups water. Let the veggies be tender.
- Once the veggies are cooked add them in the cooked dal.
- Add 2 tbsp of sambhar powder to the dal and start cooking again. Finally, add tamarind paste and jaggery. Stir and cook for a minute.
To Temper
- Heat oil in a small pan, add all the ingredients for tempering.
- Pour the tempering over the sambhar. Stir and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve hot with steamed rice.
Notes
- Add your favorite vegetables in the sambhar.
- Adjust spices as per your taste.
- Make the sambhar powder ahead and store it for later use.
Nutrition
Always let me know how this recipe turned out in the comments below. I will be so excited to hear how you served your Udupi Sambhar and please do share your tips and tricks with me.
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Best Regards,
Sapana Behl
Mouthwatering sambar!
my fav food !! very comforting….
Very nicely prepared!..can have this sambar along for breakfast or meal as well!
Wow..another variation in sambar..Love to try different variety of sambar..
Amazing sambhar. Great 🙂
What a delicious looking sambar. Looks so inviting.
Comfort food at the best
Am yet to try Udipi sambar at home, can smell the flavor of this sambar. Wish i get a bowl to have with some hot piping rice and papads. Fingerlicking sambar.
This is such a mouthwatering sambhar recipe, so simple and elegant. But one query please…is sambhar powder and sambhar masala one and the same thing?
And the quantity (of powder) you have shared is for one serving only?
Yes, sambhar masala and powder are the same things. Thus sambhar masala is a specialty in the Udupi region. Add 2 tablespoon of the masala or as much required for the quantity you are making and store the rest to use later.
Such colourful veggies on your step by step images. We make udupi sambhar so often at home-based and your consistency looks spot on.
I am from the Udupi base. we make almost every week with different vegetables. This one is very special and a favorite for my family.
Look at the colour of sambhar, it looks so delicious with beautiful clicks Sapana. I am yet to try my hands on this Udupi style sambar.
Mouthwatering. I can enjoy sambhar rice every single day of my life without getting bored. Never tried Udupi samabhar so really excited to try your recipe. Love the photos. It looks very tempting.
Every region has its own unique blend of spices to make the sambhar powder and this is one of them. I love Udupi everything but I have not given the sambhar a try yet. I will make it soon and add it to my sambhar collection 🙂
Now, this is one sambhar I can live with from morning till night. Beautifully made and explained. Love it.
We always enjoy one style of SAMBAR and that is South Indian sambar, since started blogging came to know so many sambar recipes. This Udupi sambar sounds so flavourful.