Vegetable Sambar Recipe

Sambar (South-Indian curry) is served with idli, dosa, utapam, vada etc as a side dish. This is a lentil based dish that is famous in South-India. You can make sambar with many various vegetables and spices. If you are a beginner, try this easy vegetable sambar recipe. This dish is made with fresh vegetables like onions, carrots, pointed gourd and grounded spices. Let us take a look at the recipe.

Serves: 2-3
Preparation Time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes

• Tur dal (pigeon peas)- ½ cup
• Onion- 2 (sliced)
• Carrot- 2 (chopped)
• Pointed gourd- 3-4 (sliced in julienne cutting)
• Drumsticks- 1 large (cut in 1 inch size)
• Potatoes- 2 (chopped)
• Brinjal- 1 (chopped)
• Tomato- 1 (chopped)
• Mustard seeds- 1tsp
• Curry leaves- 1 spring
• Dried red chillies- 2
• Tamarind- 1 inch
• Sambar masala- 1tsp
• Hing (asafoetida) - a pinch
• Fenugreek seeds- ½ tsp
• Red chilli powder- 1tsp
• Oil- 4tsp
• Salt
• Water

Procedure

• Wash the dal and soak it in hot water for about 30 minutes. Pressure cook dal with all the vegetables (except tomatoes) for 2-4 whistles and then let cool.
• In a bowl soak tamarind in water and keep it aside. After 5 minutes, squeeze out the extract and strain the juice. Keep the juice in a bowl.
• Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan. Add curry leaves, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds to it. When it splutters, add hing, red chillies and onions. Saute the onions on medium flame for about 1 minute.
• When the onions turn golden brown, add turmeric powder, tamarind water, salt, red chilli powder and sambar masala. Mix well and bring it to boil. Stir for 2 minutes.
• Meanwhile, take out the pressure cooked vegetables. Drain water and then add it to the pan.
• Use a masher and mash the vegetables inside the pan. Add little water if required and bring it to boil. Boil for 2-4 minutes till water thickens a little. Taste the sambar once. Add salt if required. If the sambar is sour, add little more tamarind. Put the pan off flame.

Your vegetable sambar is ready to eat. Serve it hot with steamed rice, idli or vada.