Sambar
- Leander Fernandes
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
Sambar/sambhar served with lemon rice and papads
Ingredients – Vegetables:
3 drumsticks, cleaned and cut into medium-sized pieces
8 small brinjals/eggplants, washed and cut into four pieces
1/2 Mangalore cucumber, washed, seeds removed, and chopped
Quick Sambar Powder Mix:
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1 tsp hing powder (asafoetida)
Other Ingredients:
A small ball of tamarind, soaked in hot water for an hour – extract pulp and set aside
Salt to taste
1 tsp turmeric powder
Method – Cooking Vegetables:
1. Add just enough water to the vegetables and bring to a boil.
2. Cook on medium flame until almost done.
3. Add salt, sambar spice powder mix, turmeric powder, and tamarind pulp. Simmer until vegetables are cooked through.
Ingredients – Lentils:
120 grams of tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils)
Method – Cooking Lentils:
1. Wash dal well and soak for 3 hours.
2. Cook with just enough water until soft and done.
Tempering:
3 sprigs curry leaves
15–20 pearl onions/sambar onions
2 Kashmiri chillies
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
Oil
Method – Preparing the Sambar:
1. Add the cooked dal to the vegetable mixture and mix well.
2. Bring to a gentle boil and adjust salt or water as needed.
3. In a small pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and onions. Sauté until the onions are golden and cooked.
4. Add this tempering to the sambar, mix well, and simmer for 5 minutes.
Lemon Rice (Pulao Style)
Ingredients:
3 cups of basmati rice
2 dry Kashmiri chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp lemon juice or lime juice
1/2 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
20 cashew nuts (or as preferred)
Salt to taste
Clarified butter (ghee)
Method:
1. Wash and soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. In a pan, heat clarified butter. Add cumin seeds, curry leaves, cashew nuts, and chillies. Sauté until cashews are lightly browned.
3. Add the soaked rice and gently stir fry for a minute.
4. Pour in hot water so that it is 1/2 inch above the rice. Bring to a boil.
5. Lower the flame, add salt, turmeric, and lemon/lime juice. Cover and cook till rice is done.
6. Add chopped coriander leaves, mix gently, and serve.
To Serve:
Enjoy the sambar and lemon rice with crispy papad and a side of your favourite pickle or fried fish
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