Sambar

Ingredients

Lentils

• 250 gtoor dal, split pigeon peas
• 1 tspturmeric
• 1 tbspoil
• 1 litrewater

Tamarind

• 50 gtamarind pulp
• 300 mlhot water

Vegetables

• 1drumstick, cut in lengths
• 1small aubergine, in chunks
• 150 gpumpkin, in chunks
• 2carrots, in chunks
• 10shallots, peeled
• 2tomatoes, quartered

Sambar powder

• 2 tbspcoriander seeds
• 1 tbspchana dal
• 1 tsptoor dal
• 1 tspcumin seeds
• 1/2 tspfenugreek seeds
• 1/2 tspblack peppercorns
• 8dried red chillies
• 10curry leaves
• 1/4 tspasafoetida

Tempering

• 2 tbspcoconut oil or ghee
• 1 tspmustard seeds
• 1/2 tspcumin seeds
• 2dried red chillies
• 10curry leaves
• 1/4 tspasafoetida

To finish

• salt
• a handful of coriander, chopped

Directions

1. Heat a dry pan over a medium-low heat. Roast the coriander seeds first for two minutes. Add the chana dal and toor dal and roast them for three minutes. They should turn golden and smell nutty.
2. Add the cumin, fenugreek and peppercorns. Roast them for one minute more. Take the pan off the heat the moment it darkens. Add the dried chillies and curry leaves for thirty seconds only. Let everything cool completely before grinding.
3. Grind it to a fine powder with the asafoetida. Cooking the lentils is done first. Rinse the toor dal several times until the water runs clear. Put it in a pot with the water, turmeric and oil. The oil stops it foaming over. Bring it to the boil and skim the foam. Simmer it for thirty minutes until completely soft. A pressure cooker does it in about fifteen minutes.
4. Whisk or mash the cooked dal until smooth and creamy. There should be no whole lentils left. Add hot water if it has gone too thick. Soak the tamarind pulp in the hot water for twenty minutes.
5. Squeeze it with your fingers to release the pulp. Strain it through a sieve, pressing hard. Discard the fibre and the seeds. You should have a thick brown liquid. Put the tamarind liquid in a pot with more water. Add the harder vegetables first: drumstick, carrot and pumpkin.
6. Simmer them for about ten minutes. Add the aubergine, shallots and tomatoes. Simmer for another eight minutes. Stir in the sambar powder and salt. Simmer it for about five minutes. It needs a good ten minutes of simmering to mellow. Pour the mashed dal into the vegetable pot. Stir it through the pot thoroughly. Simmer it gently for ten minutes. Do not boil it hard, which makes the dal separate.
7. Add hot water to thin it as you like. Taste it and adjust the salt and tamarind. Heat the oil or ghee in a small pan until shimmering. Add the mustard seeds to the oil. Wait until they pop, which takes a few seconds. Add the cumin, dried chillies and curry leaves.
8. Take the pan off the heat and add the asafoetida. Do not let it burn, since it turns acrid. Pour the hot oil and spices straight into the sambar. Stir it through the pot immediately. Cover the pot for two minutes to trap the aroma. Serving it is done piping hot. Stir in the chopped coriander. Serve it over rice with a spoonful of ghee.

Technique

• The Sambhaji origin story is a legend rather than documented history.
• Watch the fenugreek when roasting the powder, since it burns and turns bitter quickly.
• Simmer the tamarind for a good ten minutes, as raw tamarind tastes harsh and metallic.

Substitutions

• Shop-bought sambar powder, though fresh is far better.
• Any firm vegetables, since sambar takes whatever is available.

Variations

• Made with only shallots, as vengaya sambar.
• With drumstick alone, which is a classic.
• Made thinner for idli and thicker for rice.

History

Tamarind and lentil stew; a Thanjavur legend credits the Maratha ruler Sambhaji, though lentil-and-tamarind cooking long predates the story.

Frequently asked questions

What is Sambar?

Sambar is a soup & stew from India: tangy tamarind-lentil stew with vegetables, South Indian staple. Tamarind and lentil stew; a Thanjavur legend credits the Maratha ruler Sambhaji, though lentil-and-tamarind cooking long predates the story.

How long does Sambar take to make?

Sambar takes 20 min of preparation and 50 min of cooking. The recipe makes 6 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Sambar?

Yes, within limits. Shop-bought sambar powder, though fresh is far better. Any firm vegetables, since sambar takes whatever is available.

What is the most important thing to get right in Sambar?

Simmer them for about ten minutes. Add the aubergine, shallots and tomatoes. Simmer for another eight minutes. Stir in the sambar powder and salt. Simmer it for about five minutes. It needs a good ten minutes of simmering to mellow. Pour the mashed dal into the vegetable pot. Stir it through the pot thoroughly. Simmer it gently for ten minutes. Do not boil it hard, which makes the dal separate.