Kerala Sambar Recipe
Traditional Sambar Recipe from Kerala that is sure to become a family favourite.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup Toor dal
- 1 tbsp Tamarind soaked in 1 cup of warm water
- 1 Onion
- 2 Large tomatoes chopped
- 100 g Veg of your choice chopped into bitesize chunks.
- 1 Green chilli
- 1 1/2 tbsp Sambar powder
- 2 tbsp Oil
- 4 Red chillies finely diced More or less depending on how hot you like it
- 1/2 tsp Hing optional
- 2 Bay leaves
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- Salt for seasoning
Instructions
- Add Toor dal, 1/2 tbsp sambar powder and 2 1/2 cup of water to a pressure cooker and pressure cook until soft. That is usually about six bursts. (If you don't have a pressure cooker follow these steps with Toor dal or rice. Soak dal for at least 2 hours in water. Add 2/3 cup water into a pot with dal and cook until soft. Usually about 30-40mins. If using rice cook as normal until soft.)
- Add your chosen vegetables to the dal mixture and cook until soft.
- In a separate pan heat 1 tbsp oil. Add onion and fry until translucent. Then add 1 tbsp of sambar powder and red chillies and cook for 1 minute. Finally add hing if using.
- When dal is cooked, add the fried onion, Sambar powder and red chillies. Add tamrind water or concentrate and chopped tomatoes. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
- Add water to match your preferred consistency and stir to prevent sticking. The samber recipe should be not too thick and not too thin.
- Finally, in a small pan, add 1 tbsp of oil and heat on low. Add mustard seeds and bay leaves. Fry until the mustard seeds start to pop. (Do not over do it or the mustard seeds will start to pop.)
- Pour oil, mustard seeds and bay leaves into the sambar and stir.
- Enjoy your delicious sambar recipe.
