Healthy and traditional south Indian style lentil stew made with freshly ground spices.
It is a traditional south Indian recipe made with freshly ground spices, very common in many households as a part of everyday cooking. Whenever we have guests at home for lunch or for many festival days, my mom will prepare this sambhar but with different veggie which we have at home that day. My mom makes this recipe so well, and she will make sure she does vada for me that day and in the evening she will prepare sambhar vada for me with some chopped onions and coriander leaves on top. OMG! Memories 🙂
The secret to make this sambhar perfect is by grinding these masalas fresh and use them. This sambhar recipe is a bit tedious compared to normal sambhar recipe because of the “roasting & grinding” part. But it’s worth doing on a special day :). I have made this sambhar many times and I have never met anyone who doesn’t love this sambhar.
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Urad dal - ½ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp
- Hung - a pinch
- Curry leaves - few
- Red Chilli - 1
- Shallots - 7
- Onion - ¼ cup , chopped finely
- Tomato -1
- Okra / Ladys finger - ¾ cup, chopped 1 inch size
- Carrot - ½ cup, chopped 1 inch size
- Tamarind - 1 lemon sized ball
- Toor dal - 1 cup
- jaggery - a pinch
- Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped
To Roast and Grind: - Chana Dal / kadala paruppu - 1 tsp
- Fenugreek/ Vendhayam - ¼ tsp
- Dry red chilli - 2
- Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
- Coriander seeds / Dhania - 1 tsp
- Ginger – ½ inch
- Green chilli – 1
- Shallots - 4
- Rice – 1 tsp
- Soak tamarind in one cup of water.
- Pressure cook toor dal with turmeric powder and enough water for 4-5 whistles till its cooked, mash it with a ladle and keep it aside.
- Dry roasts the ingredients under 'to roast and grind' until golden brown and grind it to a semi fine powder. Not coarse or smooth. Keep it aside.
- Heat a pan, add oil, when it is hot, and add mustard seeds, urad dal, fenugreek, red chillies, hing and few curry leaves. Now add the onions and shallots, sauté them are cooked half.
- Add chopped tomato and sauté it well. Add the veggie of your choice, i used okra and carrot. Sauté till raw smell leaves.
- Then add the tamarind and allow it to boil for 3-5 minutes till the okras are cooked and are soft.
- Add the freshly ground powder and mashed dal, salt and mix well. Add some water and boil for 5-8 minutes till the sambhar is thick and of desired consistency. Add a pinch of jaggery and Add chopped coriander leaves and switch it off.
2. You can replace with any veggie you want. I used okra.
It taste great with potato sukka/fry or beans masala stir fry or Carrot stir fry or mutton roast and rice.
