Ah Sambhar! It can make or break your reputation as a good cook in some places in India. But there is no bad sambhar! Each house has its own unique recipe for making sambhar. The recipe is usually passed on from mother to daughter or maybe to the daughter-in -law and is a well guarded secret. Usually.
Of course each cook makes it in his or her own way and there are slight variations even if you make it multiple times. But here is the basic recipe for sambhar powder first - which is the foundation for any sambhar!
For the Sambhar powder:
1 TBS chana dal (bengal gram)
1 TBS udad dal (split black gram)
1 TBS coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4-5 dry red chillies
All the above ingredients except chillies have to be dry roasted till the dals turn light brown. Grind everything with the chillies in a spice grinder to a fine powder.
For the sambhar
1/2 cup toor dal ( pigeon peas)
cook till totally soft with :
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
water as needed
This can be done either in a pressure cooker or even in a slow cooker. 1/2 cup of dry dal will give you about a cup and a half of cooked dal.
4-5 Indian shallots (ask for sambhar onions) - you can use pearl onions - even the frozen ones instead
1/2 cup pumpkin pieces (skin removed) - about 1 inch square
1/2 cup eggplant pieces
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup of water
2 dry red chillies
10-12 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp udad dal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt to taste
oil
1 to 2 TBS ghee or butter
In a large pot, heat oil, temper with mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, udad dal and curry leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chillies and curry leaves to this oil and saute for about 5 minutes till the tomato starts to soften. Then add the vegetables - onions, pumpkin and eggplant and saute, so the tomato and oil coats the vegetables very well. Add the sambhar masala powder and saute till you can smell it frying. Add a little water and cover and let the vegetables cook. Once the vegetables are done, add the dal and the tamarind pulp. You may need to add water at this point - you can always reserve the cooking water from the dal if any is left and use it. Add salt to taste and the chopped cilantro leaves. Finish it with a dollop of ghee or butter.
Serve hot with idli, wada, dosa, rice .....
Notes: You can use so many vegetables in sambhar, there is specific rule. You can use cauliflower, okra, eggplant, pimpkin or any other kind of squash, drumstick (indian drumstick here - not a chicken drumstick). I have even seen potatoes used. You can steam or parboil the veggies so your sambhar is done faster if you like. This is not an exact science - once you start making this regularly, you will know what vegetables you like in it, you will know how sour you like it or how spicy you like it. Keep cooking!
I have included some pictures here - but these are not mine - I guess I should make this more often so I can upload my pictures here. But for now- these are for reference purpose only. You will see what is a drumstick and the various vegetables that can go into a sambhar and what the finished product looks like.
Of course each cook makes it in his or her own way and there are slight variations even if you make it multiple times. But here is the basic recipe for sambhar powder first - which is the foundation for any sambhar!
For the Sambhar powder:
1 TBS chana dal (bengal gram)
1 TBS udad dal (split black gram)
1 TBS coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
4-5 dry red chillies
All the above ingredients except chillies have to be dry roasted till the dals turn light brown. Grind everything with the chillies in a spice grinder to a fine powder.
For the sambhar
1/2 cup toor dal ( pigeon peas)
cook till totally soft with :
a pinch of asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
water as needed
This can be done either in a pressure cooker or even in a slow cooker. 1/2 cup of dry dal will give you about a cup and a half of cooked dal.
4-5 Indian shallots (ask for sambhar onions) - you can use pearl onions - even the frozen ones instead
1/2 cup pumpkin pieces (skin removed) - about 1 inch square
1/2 cup eggplant pieces
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 lemon sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup of water
2 dry red chillies
10-12 curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp udad dal
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup chopped cilantro leaves
salt to taste
oil
1 to 2 TBS ghee or butter
In a large pot, heat oil, temper with mustard seeds, asafoetida, turmeric, fenugreek seeds, udad dal and curry leaves. Add the chopped tomatoes, red chillies and curry leaves to this oil and saute for about 5 minutes till the tomato starts to soften. Then add the vegetables - onions, pumpkin and eggplant and saute, so the tomato and oil coats the vegetables very well. Add the sambhar masala powder and saute till you can smell it frying. Add a little water and cover and let the vegetables cook. Once the vegetables are done, add the dal and the tamarind pulp. You may need to add water at this point - you can always reserve the cooking water from the dal if any is left and use it. Add salt to taste and the chopped cilantro leaves. Finish it with a dollop of ghee or butter.
Serve hot with idli, wada, dosa, rice .....
Notes: You can use so many vegetables in sambhar, there is specific rule. You can use cauliflower, okra, eggplant, pimpkin or any other kind of squash, drumstick (indian drumstick here - not a chicken drumstick). I have even seen potatoes used. You can steam or parboil the veggies so your sambhar is done faster if you like. This is not an exact science - once you start making this regularly, you will know what vegetables you like in it, you will know how sour you like it or how spicy you like it. Keep cooking!
I have included some pictures here - but these are not mine - I guess I should make this more often so I can upload my pictures here. But for now- these are for reference purpose only. You will see what is a drumstick and the various vegetables that can go into a sambhar and what the finished product looks like.
