Restaurant Style Sambar

Sambar with rice is one of the main courses in everyday South Indian meals. I am sharing with you an easy and unique way to prepare the restaurant-style sambar at home. It is prepared using yellow lentils (Toor dal) cooked in a broth of fresh veggies, tamarind, and masala. Sambar can be made with a wide variety of vegetables. You can add any firm vegetables like eggplants, beans, gourds, carrots, onion, drumsticks, tomato are typical.

This post also contains the recipe for sambar powder or sambar masala, which provides the texture, taste, and consistency of the hotel or restaurant-style sambar. This spice blend is found in every south Indian home. Ready-made sambar powder is also available in the market but you can make your own quite easily with the ingredients available in your kitchen.

Even though I am not south Indian, But my love for south Indian cuisine can not be expressed in words. Try this recipe for an absolutely delicious Restaurant Style Sambar and let me know how it turned out. It can be served with steamed rice or even as a side dish for idli, dosa or medu vada.

Do try other recipes :

• Medu Vada
• Sabudana Vada
• Sambhar
• Mini Uttapam
• Paniyaram
• Instant Rava Uttapam
• Bread Uttapam
• Coconut peanut chutney
• Red Capsicum Chutney
• Pesarattu dosa
• Lemon Rice
• Potato filling for Masala Dosa
• Dosa batter

Preparation Time: 15mins  ∏  Cooking Time: 35mins  ∏  Servings: 3-4 person

Level: Intermediate(Medium)  ∏  Measurement: 1 Cup ≡ 250 ml ≡ 250gm

Ingredients Checklist:

For Sambar Masala

For Sambar

 1 cup (250gm) Toor dal (arhar dal)

 1 large size onion chopped (slices)

 1/4 cup tamarind pulp (or extract)

 1/4 cup bottle gourd (chopped)

 1/4 cup green beans (chopped)

 1 carrot (chopped)

 1 brinjal (chopped)

 1 large size tomato (chopped)

 3-4 tablespoon sambar masala powder

 2-3 green chilies chopped (slits)

 Coriander leaves -fistful (finely chopped)

 1 teaspoon jaggery

 Salt as per taste

 1 teaspoon turmeric powder

For Tempering

 1-2 teaspoon oil

 1 pinch Asafoetida (Hing)

 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (methi) seeds

 6-7 curry leaves

 2 whole dry red chili

 1 teaspoon mustard seed

How to make Restaurant Style Sambar:

Make the Sambar Masala

Step1: Heat 1.5 tablespoon oil in a skillet or pan on low-medium heat, add 2 tablespoon coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon urad dal, 1 tablespoon chana dal, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds and toast until fragrant. It will take around 2-3 minutes. (Do not brown it).

Step2: Then add pinch of asafoetida, 4-5 black pepper corns, 5-6 curry leaves, 4-5 dry red chili and 1-inch roughly chopped ginger and saute for a minute then add 2 tablespoons grated coconut (fresh or frozen). Saute it.

Make the Tadka

Step14: Heat a tadka pan on medium flame. Pour 1 tablespoon oil, once it is hot add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek (or methi) seeds, and a pinch of asafoetida (or heeng). Let the seeds crackle for 20-30 secs.

Step15: Add red chilly along with curry leaves, let them splutter. Turn off the flame.

Step16: Pour this tempering immediately over the prepared sambar and mix well. Garnish with some fresh coriander leaves. Cover the lid so that flavors of tempering get infused in the sambar.

Step17: Restaurant Style Sambar is ready to serve along with hot steamed rice. You can also serve it with Idli, Dosa or Medu vada.

Watch this video for making Restaurant Style Sambar

Tips:

• To save some time you may soak the tour dal for 20minutes for fast cooking.
• Sambar powder is the key ingredient, use fresh homemade sambar masala for authentic taste or a good brand store bought sambar powder.
• You can use any veggies of your choice just don’t add too much of it. There should be some ratio of veggies and dal.
• I like my sambar to be on the thicker side, however, you may add water as desired to bring it to a consistency you like.
• If possible use fresh curry leaves which gives this sambar a unique aroma.