Sambaar is a well known dish from southern India. Its generaly slightly runny, sour with pungent flavours and mild sweetness. Popular to contrary belief sambaar can be made with non veg. The vegetarian Sambaar is generaly made with lentils like splitpeas along with vegetables, the vegetable used vary from person to person and region to region. These include raddish, papaya, onion, tomato, drumstick, brinjal, carrot, green beans, okra , pumpkin, Madrass cucumber.

Sambaar is known for its pungent flavour which it gets from a unique spice powder. Like the Sambaar itself the Sambaar powder varries from region to region and even occassion to occassion. Sambaar powder used in Andhra-Telengana region is slightly different from that in Tamilnadu or Karnataka. Sambaar powder used in temples of Udupi is different from that used in weddings.

Some of the common ingredients used in any sambar powder are –

Red chillies of 2 types one for color, other for heat.

Curry leaves.

Corriander seeds.

Fenugreek seeds.

Asofoetida

Turmeric.

Split Black lentil without skin.

Blackpeppercorn.

The thickening agent and other lentills varry from region to region.

My recipe for sambar powder is as follows-

Raakshas special sambaar powder

A pungent spice mix from south india used for sambaar

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cuisine Indian, South indian

Ingredients

  

• 9 guntur red chilli destemmed and seeds removed
• 6 byadgi or kashmiri chilli destemmed and seeds removed
• 15 gram coriander seed
• 15 gram cumin seed
• 5 gram mustard seed black
• 5 gram fenugreek seed
• 15-20 curry leaf medium
• 8 gram blackpeppercorn
• 70 gram rice 2/3 sona masoori , 1/3 bullet/kollam
• 25 gram black lentil split, skinless
• 30 gram bengal gram
• 30 gram split peas
• 1/2 tbsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1/2 tbsp asofoetida powder

Instructions

 

• Dry roast every ingredient except the powdered spices on a low heat individualy untill they are slighty fragrant and there is slight color change. Avoid burning or things turning dark.
• Grind everything togather into a fine powder. Sieve it through and again grind the course bits. Repeat untill maximum course bits turn into a fine powder. Discard any remaining course bits.
• The powder should have that pungent signature smell of Sambaar.

Notes

1. Thickners used in the mix are rice and at times coconut.
2. The type of rice used varries from region to region, from sona masoori to red matta rice. Though normal rice can be also used.
3.  In some places the ingridients are roasted with a bit of oil.

Keyword Sambaar, Sambar, Sambar masala, Sambar powder