Experience the essence of South Indian cuisine with Sambar, a vibrant blend of vegetables, lentils, tamarind, and aromatic sambar powder. This protein-packed, vegan-friendly dish complements breakfast favorites like idli and dosa, and pairs beautifully with rice for a complete meal. A staple in any South Indian culinary repertoire!
Place toor dal, water, garlic cloves, and small onions in a pressure cooker on medium heat.
Close the lid, cook until 2 whistles, then allow the pressure to release naturally. Afterward, reserve the cooked dal for later use in the Sambar.
To Prepare Sambar
Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds, green chili, curry leaves, and asafoetida (hing). Allow them to splutter, releasing their aromatic flavors.
Add small onions and sauté until they become soft, infusing the base with their sweet and savory essence.
Incorporate tomatoes and cook until they turn mushy, creating a rich and tangy tomato base for the Sambar.
Add turmeric, chili, sambar, coriander powder, and salt. Mix well to create a harmonious blend of spices.
Include drumstick, green brinjal, green beans, carrot, and potato. Mix thoroughly, ensuring the vegetables absorb the flavorful spices.
Pour water, cover the pan with a lid, and cook for 10 minutes. This step allows the vegetables to tenderize while maintaining their vibrant colors.
Open the lid, add the cooked dal, and stir, infusing the dish with the creamy consistency of the dal.
Introduce tamarind water and additional water for consistency(if you prefer) to the vegetable-dal mixture, enhancing the Sambar's tangy notes.
Allow the vegetable-dal mixture to boil for 10 minutes, allowing all the flavors to meld together beautifully.
Sprinkle coriander leaves, adding a burst of fresh flavor and vibrant green color.
Your Mixed Vegetable Sambar is now ready to be savored and enjoyed!
To Serve
Enjoy the delectable Mixed Vegetable Sambar with rice, dosa, idli, or Pongal. For more delightful pairing ideas, refer to the serving suggestions section.
Notes
Ingredients and Cooking Techniques:
Quality Sambar Masala: Choose fresh sambar masala powder for optimal flavor. Whether it's store-bought or homemade, freshness is crucial for the best taste and aroma. Check the shelf dates to ensure the spices haven't lost their potency.
Vegetable Cooking Method: Cook fresh vegetables with sambar powder and spices to infuse them with rich flavors. This technique allows the vegetables to absorb the spices, enhancing the overall taste of the Sambar.
Prep Tamarind Juice: To infuse your Sambar with its signature tangy flavor, begin by soaking a gooseberry-sized portion of tamarind pulp in ¼ cup of warm water. Thoroughly mash the pulp to mix, then strain to extract clear tamarind water. Remember to adjust the quantity of tamarind pulp and water if you change the serving size of this recipe.
Tamarind Juice Timing: Add tamarind juice only after the vegetables are cooked. This prevents the acid in the tamarind from hardening the vegetables, ensuring they cook evenly and retain their texture.
Diverse Vegetable Choices: Include a mix of vegetables like drumstick, green brinjal, carrots, beans, and potatoes. Experiment with pumpkin, bottle gourd, or okra to add different textures and flavors, making each Sambar experience unique.
Dal Varieties: Standard toor or tuvar dal provides a classic flavor, but experimenting with moong or masoor dal can offer a lighter taste and different texture to the Sambar.
Dal Cooking Methods: A pressure cooker speeds up the cooking process, preserving the nutrients in dal, while a traditional pan cooking method allows for more control over the texture of the dal.
Convenient Cooking Options: For those with time constraints, preparing Sambar in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot is a great time-saver without compromising on taste.
Flavor Enhancement Techniques:
Balancing Spices: Adjust the amount of sambar powder and chillies to taste. This customization allows you to control the heat and spice level, catering to individual preferences.
Consistency Check: The Sambar should be neither too thick nor too thin. Adjusting the water based on the vegetables used ensures the right consistency for soaking up with idli or blending with rice.
Use of Asafoetida (Hing): Adding a pinch of Asafoetida, or Hing, during tempering infuses Sambar with a unique depth and richness. Its strong aroma transforms into a savory, onion-like flavor when cooked, elevating the overall flavor of the dish.
Simmering Time: Allowing the Sambar to simmer melds the flavors of the dal, spices, and vegetables, creating a harmonious blend.
Freshness of Ingredients: Fresh curry leaves and coriander not only add flavor but also contribute a burst of color and freshness to the dish.
Acidity Balance: A bit of jaggery or sugar effectively counteracts excessive acidity from the tamarind, creating a well-balanced flavor with a pleasant sweet and tangy taste. While adding jaggery is a common practice in Karnataka to achieve this balance, it's less typical in Tamilnadu, where the preference leans towards a more tangy flavor profile.
Resting Time: Letting the Sambar rest allows the ingredients to settle and the flavors to deepen, enhancing the overall taste.