Hello and Welcome!!! to my recipe for mixed vegetable sambar. This popular South Indian dish is a delicious and comforting stew made with lentils and a variety of vegetables including potato, onion, carrot, tomato. The lentils and vegetables are cooked in a flavorful broth made with tamarind, spices, and herbs like curry leaves and coriander. Sambar is often served with rice, idli (steamed rice cakes) or dosa (fermented rice and lentil crepes), medu vada. It is a comforting and nutritious dish that is both easy to make and delicious to eat.
Over time, sambar spread throughout South India, with each region adapting the recipe to suit their local tastes and ingredients. In Karnataka, sambar is made with a sweeter and thicker consistency, while in Kerala, it’s made with a more brothy consistency and a focus on coconut milk. In Tamil Nadu, different styles of sambar are made.
Sambar is more than a dish; it’s an emotion that brings people together. Whether it’s a simple meal or a grand feast, sambar is always a centerpiece. Its aroma wafting from the kitchen evokes memories of home. In addition, Sambar also holds cultural importance. It’s a dish that’s often served at festivals, special occasions and family gatherings. Sambar’s popularity extends beyond South India, with variations of the dish enjoyed across the country.
Health benefits from having sambar, Sambar is a nutritious and filling dish, the lentils provide a boost of protein, while vegetables add fiber and vitamins. The spices have anti-inflammatory properties, making sambar a healthy and delicious option.
My love for sambar never ends, and all thanks to my mother. Growing up, my brother and I would await her homemade sambar, The aroma wafting from the kitchen would signal that something special was cooking and our taste buds would tingle in anticipation. She would prepare rice, sambar, vegatable palya, papad, payasa and many more dishes during festivals. We would all sit together and have food on a banana leaf. Having food together is another level of happiness.
I’m so grateful for my mother’s cooking. Every dish she cooks is made with love and care, and it’s a testament to her love for our family. No matter how busy she is, she always makes time to cook for us, and it’s something I truly appreciate. I have never felt the need to go to a restaurant to satisfy my cravings as she prepares all our favorite dishes at home. I feel so grateful to have a mother who cooks with so much love and care. It’s a feeling that’s hard to put into words, but I just wanted to share my appreciation for her and her amazing cooking.
Here is an easy recipe to make flavorful and nutritious sambar that’s perfect for any meal.
Ingredients of Mixed Vegetable Sambar
- 1/2 cup Toor Dhal
- 2 Tomatoes
- 2 Medium sized Potatoes
- 1 big Onion
- 1 Carrot
- Hing
- Tamarind water
- 1 tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt as required
- 1 small sized Jaggery
- Coriander leaves
Ingredients to prepare Sambar Masala
- 2 spn Coconut oil
- 1 tsp Urad Dhal
- 4 Kashmiri Chilies
- 1/4 tsp Methi Seeds
- 2 tsp Jeera
- 3 tsp Dhania Seeds
- Curry leaves
- 1/2 cup grated Coconut
Ingredients of Tempering
- Coconut oil
- 1 tsp Mustard
- Red Chilly pieces
- Curry leaves
How to prepare Mixed Vegetable Sambar?
Step 1: First place a cooker on the stove and add 7 cups of water. Then add 1/2 cup Toor Dhal and chopped vegetables(2 medium Potatoes, 1 big Onion, 1 Carrot,2 tomatoes). Next add 1 tsp of turmeric powder and a little Hing powder(if there is no hing powder, then you can dissolve a small piece of Hing in water and add to the cooker), cover the cooker with a lid and wait till the cooker blows 3 whistles. After 3 whistles turnoff the stove.
Step 2: To prepare masala, add 2 spoons of coconut oil to the pan. Let the oil become hot, then add Kashmiri chilies, urad dhal, methi seeds, jeera, dhania seeds, and curry leaves. Fry on low flame. After frying the ingredients, add them along with grated coconut to the mixer jar. Also add required amount of water to the jar and grind till it becomes smooth paste.
Step 3: Open the cooker’s lid. Add tamarind water and smashed jaggery into the cooker. Then add the masala paste and salt as per taste, boil until everything is well combined.
Step 4: For tempering, heat a pan with coconut oil. After that add mustard seeds, red chillies, and curry leaves. First, fry them, then add the tempering to the boiled sambar.
Step 5: Lastly, add the chopped coriander leaves to the sambar and the sambar is now ready to serve.
Hope You would love this recipe! Don’t forget to try this recipe and Happy cooking!!!