Udupi Sambar

Sambar is a popular south Indian dish. It is tuvar dal based vegetable stew, tempered with fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves. It is served with south Indian snacks or rice. Each region in south India will have a variation in the spice mix used for the sambar. Tuvar dal (split pigeon peas), vegetables and the tempering would remain the same. 

Here is the recipe for Udupi style sambar.

Serves: 4 to 5

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal - 5 - 6 tbsp
2. Onion (diced) - 1 medium
3. Tomato (diced) - 1 medium
4. Vegetables of your choice (drumsticks, cucumber, pumpkin, bottle gourd, brinjal etc) - 1 1/2 cup
5. Udupi sambar powder - 2 tbsp
6. Hing - 1/4 tsp
7. Turmeric powder - a pinch
8. Chilly powder - 1/3 to 1/2 tsp
9. Scrapped coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp
10. Tamarind pulp - 4 - 5 tbsp
11. Jaggery - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp
12. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
13. Fenugreek seeds - 8 - 10
14. Red chilly (broken) - 1-2
15. Curry leaves - 1 sprig
16. Coconut oil - 1 to 1 1/2 tbsp
17. Salt to taste

Procedure:

• Pressure cook dal till 6 to 7 whistles.
• Pressure cook tomato and other vegetables by adding salt and turmeric powder till 2 whistles.
• Heat oil in a pan add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, red chilly, curry leaves and onion.
• Stir fry till onion softens. 
• Add half the sambar powder and chilly powder, stir fry for 5 seconds.
• Add cooked dal and vegetables.
• Add hing, tamrind pulp, salt and jaggery.
• Add water as per your requirement.
• Simmer for 5 min.
• In the meanwhile, dry roast scrapped coconut and grind it to a  fine paste.
• Add remaining sambar powder and ground paste to dal.
• Stir well and simmer for 2 min.
• Serve with idli/dosa/utappa/wada.

Tip:

• You may saute onion and grind, then add this paste to cooked dal and vegetables. It gives colour and taste.