Sambhar is a Toor dal and vegetable stew cooked with lots of spices and tamarind. It pairs very well with rice and often known as sambhar chawal.
What is Sambhar?
Sambhar is a melody of Toor dal lentil along with a variety of vegetables, cooked on simmer until it becomes very delicious tangy and spicy to serve.
Basic Ingredients for Sambhar:
The basic ingredients to make sambhar are listed below.
- Firstly, Toor Dal-Pigeon pea/Toor dal/arhar dal is normally used to make sambhar, however, in the South, they’d use all kinds of lentils and pulses.
- Vegetables-I prefers all mix and matches vegetables to add in my sambhar like carrots, bottle gourd, aubergine, beans, onions, tomato, drumsticks, ladyfinger, etc.
- Sambhar powder- There are plenty of store-bought options but I make my own sambhar powder.
- Tamarind-Tamarind adds the tanginess in the sambhar definitely needs this.
- Whole dried red chilly-To be added in the tempering or tadka for extra flavors.
- Mustard seeds-For the tempering
- Curry leaves-Fresh or dried both will do in the recipe.
- Oil-For the tadka tempering but you can use ghee as well.
- Coriander leaves-Adds the freshness into the dish.
How to make Sambhar?
The basic step is to wash and cook Toor dal with a pinch of salt and turmeric and once cooked mash it with a whisk.
After that, you will need to add all the vegetables in the cooked dal along with enough water and cook until the veggies are soft.
Later on add sambhar powder, tamarind and cook for few more minutes followed by making and adding the tadka. Once the sambhar is done add freshly chopped coriander leaves and to serve hot with rice.
Serving Suggestions:
We prefer sambhar with plain boiled rice but it can be paired with idli, vada and or dosa as well.
Looking for more such South Indian Recipes to get some ideas for your lunch or dinner? Do not miss my Aval Dosa and Idli Recipe and the best one’s Rava Medhu Vada.
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Sambhar Chawal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup pigeon pea/arhar dal/Toor dal
- 3 cup of vegetables
- bottle gourd, onion,eggplant,pumpkin,carrot,ladyfinger,drumsticks, green beans,tomato,red onion, chopped
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
- 2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilly powder
- 4 dried whole red chilly
- 2 pinches asafetida
- 2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- few sprigs curry leaves
- 4 tablespoon sambhar masala powder
- 1/2 cup tamarind pulp
- 1/4 cup coriander leaves chopped
- 6 cup water or as required
- 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
Instructions
- Boil pigeon pea in two cups of water with a pinch of salt and turmeric powder in a cooker for one whistle.
- Open the lid and add the vegetables and 4 cups of water, cook it on low flame until all the vegetables cooked.(app. 1/2 hour)
- Now add tamarind pulp and cook for another 15 minutes. After that add sambhar masala, remaining salt according to taste and cook for 10 minutes.
- Heat ghee or oil in a pan and add asafetida cumin and mustard seeds and dried whole red chilies. As they start crackling, add curry leaves, red chilly powder, coriander powder and turn off the heat.
- Add this seasoning mixture to the boiling sambhar. Garnish with chopped coriander.
- Serve with rice, vada or idli.
Notes
- I prefer adding loads of vegetables in my sambhar, feel free to add or remove any vegetable of your choice.
- Adjust the consistency of sambhar as per your desire.
- Use spices and chilli as you like for your taste buds.
- I use my own homemade sambhar powder, you may use store bought as well.
Always let me know how this recipe turned out in the comments below. I will be so excited to hear how you served your Sambhar and please do share your tips and tricks with me.
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Best Regards,
Sapana Behl
Sambhar rice is such a great comfort food Sapna. I love to pour lots of sambhar over rice and love to eat with my hands. It’s such a pure bliss.
My whole family LOVES sambar and they can eat it for every single meal. You have captured this simple dish so beautifully. That bowl with sambar and rice looks so inviting.
Sapana,
That sambhar rice bowl is so inviting! Wish I could grab a hot bowl of that right now! Perfect with papadum anytime/ any season for me!
Sambhar and rice are indeed a great combo and purely a comfort food. Would love to have it anytime.
These sambhar rice are making me drool Sapana. I could just finish off the whole bowl if given a chance.
The best comfort food we can get our hands on. I love sambhar with lots of vegetable as well and I make a big pot to eat with rice in the morning ad idli/dosai for dinner. Looks delicious Sapana!
The only time I serve sambhar is when I make idli, vada or dosa. However, your bowl of sambhar and rice is so tempting that I’m definitely going to serve it that way. Right now with limited availability of veggies this is definitely the best way to enjoy a bit of lentils and vegetables together.
I love sambhar with rice, it is a comfort food and liked the addition of medley of vegetables in it. Shall try adding ridge gourd and lady finger sometime Sapana.
What a great comforting and tasty meal, absolutely love this south-Indian combo. Just drooling here!!
I am simply drooling. As a south Indian food lover, I love this simple yet so flavorful rice sambar combo 🙂 The pictures are so so beautiful !! much comfort bowl 🙂
Sambar is such a versatile dish that pairs so well with rice, idli, dosa, pongal. Although I add most of the vegetables that you’ve mentioned, ridge gourd sounds interesting. I’ll try your version soon. Lovely pics Sapana.