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A bowl of sambar in front of a plate with rice and vegetables.
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5 from 1 vote

Sambar recipe-Stovetop and Instant Pot

Sambar is a blend of toor dal (split pigeon pea lentils), an assortment of vegetables such as drumsticks, okra, pumpkin, potato, and eggplant, tamarind paste, and mix of spices and herbs.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: How to make sambar, how to make sambar with no coconut, sambar, South Indian Sambar
Servings: 4 people
Calories:
Author: Lathiya

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1/2 Cup Toor dal
  • 1 Drumstick chopped small pieces
  • 1/2 Cup Pumpkin chopped cubes
  • 2 Eggplant cubed
  • 1 Onion medium-sized chopped
  • 1 Tomato chopped
  • Tamarind small lemon sized
  • 2 Green chilies cut lenghwise
  • 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp Red chilli powder
  • 2 tsp Sambar powder
  • 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
  • Methi seeds less than 1/4tsp
  • Salt as required

To temper

Instructions

Stovetop

  • Pressure cook toor dal on stove top pressure cooker till 3 whistles. Keep aside.
  • Soak tamarind in ¼ cup water.
  • Heat 1tsp of oil in a pan add methi seeds.
  • When it turns golden brown add onions, green chili and saute.
  • When onion turns golden add drumstick and pumpkin. Cover and cook for a minute.
  • Add tomatoes,turmeric powder, red chili powder, sambar powder, and asafoetida.
  • Stir well and cook until tomatoes turn mushy. (If needed add little amount of water)
  • Add cooked toor dal along with required amount of water boil it until the veggies are cooked.
  • When veggies cooked add tamarind extract. Add salt and let it boil till raw smell goes. Turn off the stove.
  • Heat oil and ghee in another pan. Temper all the ingredients under 'to temper' and add to the sambar.
  • Serve hot with rice, idli, dosa, or uthapam.

Instant Pot

  • In the Instant Pot method, press the saute’ button and add oil.
  • Add methi seeds, and add onions, green chili and saute.
  • When onion turns golden add drumstick, pumpkin, tomato, dal, and all the spice powders. Add 1 cup water or until the vegetables submerge.
  • Cover the Instant Pot with lid. Press the cancel button and then pressure cook for 8 minutes.
  • Once it is cooked, quick release the pressure. Open the lid and press saute button and add tamarind extract. Add the required salt.
  • Let it boil till the raw smell of the tamarind goes.
  • Temper the ingredients under 'to temper' in another pan and add to the sambar.

Notes

  1. You can add 1/4 cup toor dal and 1/4 cup masoor dal.
  2. Adjust spice level according to your taste.
  3. If you are using ready-to-use tamarind paste, add ½ tablespoon.
  4. You can use veggies like carrots, potatoes, and ash gourd.
  5. To make it vegan, just skip ghee and just add oil.