Sambar
A sour, spiced toor dal broth studded with vegetables and built on a tamarind base — simultaneously soup, sauce, and condiment, poured over rice or alongside idli and dosa. The sambar powder is the soul: make your own if you can.
Ingredients
For 4 servings · tick what is ready
Use the scaled ingredient list. Steps and temperatures stay unchanged; use a larger pan or dish if needed. Seasonings to taste stay to taste.
How to make it
Rinse toor dal until water runs clear. Cook in a pressure cooker with water for 3 whistles, or simmer in a covered pot for 30–35 minutes until completely soft. Whisk or mash the cooked dal into a smooth, creamy paste — this will be the body of the sambar.
Combine the mashed dal with tamarind paste, sambar powder, salt, and vegetables in a wide pot. Add enough water to make a thin broth. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15–20 minutes until vegetables are completely tender and the broth has unified into a cohesive, sour-spiced gravy.
In a small pan, heat oil over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Add mustard seeds and cover with a lid — they will pop violently within 10 seconds. Uncover, add curry leaves (stand back — they will splatter) and dried red chilies. Stir for 15 seconds, then pour the entire tadka into the sambar.
About this recipe
By ForkRecipe Kitchen · Source: ForkRecipe / FoodML and contributors. Recipe content available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Serving count is an estimate; check quantities in the source recipe.