Sumptuous Sambar Recipes Kerala Style

Those who love and cook Indian food needs no introduction to good old Sambar, a humble vegetable lentil stew and a much adored staple of Southern India. Prepared with mix of vegetables, tamarind pulp and a blend of herbs and spices, its aroma is enticing and flavours extremely appetizing. The dish is generally made with toor dal or yellow pigeon peas and a bunch of vegetables including carrots, beans, drumsticks, potatoes, okra, pumpkin, shallots etc. to create various blends.

Eaten with great relish as a side with variety of breakfasts, evening snacks and even as a part of main meals, Sambar is seasoned with curry leaves, mustard seeds and dried red chilli. As a popular delicacy of south, it is a must serve at every occasion, be it festive season, a wedding buffet or a get together. However, each state down south has its own version of sambar that varies in taste and in making. Today we are trying to feature some sambar recipes from Kerala, prepared with various combinations of vegetables.

Highly nutritious and packed with flavours, the true gust of zest in Sambar comes from its spices and tempering. Prepared with just the right proportion and grind to perfection, Ceepee offers the authentic essence with Sambar Masala Powder at reasonable Sambar Masala price.

Kerala Sambar

Prepared with many vegetables instead of single vegetable, Kerala style Sambar also includes roasted coconut in some variations.

Varutharacha Sambar/Sambar with Roasted Coconut

Roasted coconut and traditional flavours calls for a mouth-watering Verutharacha Sambar recipe, a must for Onam Sadya and other festivities.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Arhar Dal/Toor Dal
• 1 Drumstick, cut lengthwise
• 1 Small Onion, sliced lengthwise
• 1 large Potato, diced
• 2 Cups White Pumpkin, diced in medium size
• 2 Carrots, diced
• 5-6 Lady Finger, cut into 1” pieces
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 10 Shallots, cut into halves
• 1 ½ Cup Tamarind extract
• 1 tsp Ceepee Turmeric Powder
• 2 Green Cihillies, split lengthwise
• 3 Sprig Coriander Leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1 Cup Grated Coconut
• ½ tsp Ceepee Hing Powder
• 3-4 Dried Red Chilli
• 1 tbsp Ceepee Sambar Masala Powder

For Tempering

• 1 tsp Ceepee Mustard Seeds
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
• A pinch Ceepee Hing Powder
• 1 tbsp Coconut oil or any cooking oil
• 2-3 Pinches of Fenugreek Seeds

Method

1. In a pressure cooker, boil toor dal with salt, water and turmeric powder. Cook for 4-5 whistles.
2. Let the pressure release naturally and add slow cooking vegetables to the cooker like drumsticks and potato. Simmer the dal on low heat, add tamarind extract and adjust the salt.
3. In a frying pan, heat small quantity of oil, add ladyfinger and sauté it well. Add handful of shallots and cook until they turn translucent.
4. It is time to add tomatoes and cook them until they are soft and mushy. Cover the pan with lid, cook it for few minutes and keep aside.
5. Once vegetables are cooked, add cooked tomatoes, ladyfinger and shallots to the dal. Mix them well and let them simmer on low heat.
6. Meanwhile, in a pan, roast the grated coconut in some oil along with curry leaves, coriander powder, fenugreek seeds, hing powder, and red chilli powder and sambar masala powder. Cook until the raw fragrance of spices is gone.
7. With enough amount of water, grind the spices to a fine paste. Mix it to the dal and vegetables in cooker. Cook it on medium flame until the dal thickens to medium consistency but not too thick.
8. In a separate pan, heat some coconut oil and add mustard seeds, hing, curry leaves and fenugreek leaves. Let the content sputter and mix the tempering to the dal. Add coriander leaves and mix it evenly.
9. Cover it and keep aside for flavours to set.
10. Serve it piping hot with idli, dosa or appam.

Vengaya Sambar/ Red Small Onion Sambar/ Ulli Sambar

A sambar recipe without coconut, it includes small onions and other vegetables seasoned with a variety of spices. It provides a delish combination especially with steaming rice.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Small Onions or Shallots
• 1 medium sized Tomato, diced in big pieces
• ½ Cup Toor Dal
• 2 Green Chillies, split lengthwise
• ½ tsp Ceepee Haldi Powder
• Lemon sized Tamarind
• 1 Pinch Ceepee Hing Powder
• 1 tsp Ceepee red Chilli Powder
• 2 tsp Ceepee Dhaniya Powder
• 3 tsp Ceepee Sambar Powder
• ½ tsp Ceepee Mustard Seeds
• 3 Dry Whole Chillies
• 1 Sprig Curry Leaves
• 3tbsp + ¼ tsp Coconut Oil
• Water as per requirement
• Salt to taste
• 2 tsp Coriander Leaves, chopped

Method

1. Cook the toor dal in pressure cooker with water, ¼ tsp of haldi powder and salt for 4-5 whistles. Once the pressure releases naturally, open the cooker, mix the dal and keep it covered aside.
2. Soak tamarind in ½-cup warm water; squeeze it for its extract. Keep aside.
3. In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add shallots and green chillies. Sauté for about 2 minutes and add ¼ tsp haldi powder, dices tomatoes and water. Mix well, cover the pan and allow it to boil.
4. When onions are cooked, uncover the pan, add tamarind extract, and cooked dal. Mix it evenly and let it simmer on low heat for some time until it absorbs all the flavours. Adjust salt.
5. Next, add coriander leaves, hing powder and simmer for another 2 minutes. Turn of the heat and keep the pan aside.
6. In a wok, heat some oil and put in mustard seeds. Allow them to sputter and add curry leaves and dried red chillies. Fry for a minute.
7. Finally, add samba powder, dhaniya powder and chilli powder and roast for 2 minutes on low heat.
   Pour the sambar in wok and mix thoroughly. Remove it from heat and serve fresh and piping hot with rice, dosa or idli. Chocolate: 4 Benefits of Consuming It

Sambar is one of the most common and delicious dish in South India made with many variations across country. With plenty of veggies and spices in the recipe, it provides a goodness of many nutrients packed in one dish. Try this Kerala style sambar with boiled rice, appam, idli or dosa. Ceepee offers Sambar Masala for authentic and traditional flavours prepared with freshly picked finest quality spices. Available at best Sambar Masala price, it is well-proportioned grind to perfection.