Sambar / Varutharacha Sambar Malabar style

Sambar /  Varutharacha Sambar

          Sambar is a very popular dish in South Indian cuisine. It is served with steamed rice, idli, and dosa. Most commonly used vegetables for sambar are brinjal, drumstick, pumpkin, radish, ladiesfinger, onion etc. Here iam preparing a Malabar style sambar ie, varutharacha sambar. Let’s see how we can prepare it……….

For video of this recipe, please visit the following link........... 

Prep time - under 30 minutes.

Cook time - under 45 minutes.

Ingredients :

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup.

2. Chana dal-1/4 cup.

3.Tamarind - small lemon or gooseberry sized ball.

4. Vegetables- 

             1 carrot cubed, 1 potato cubed,1 drumstick cut into 4" pieces, 4 ladies finger cut to small pieces, 1 tomato cubed, I banana cubed,  2 onion, 2 tomato, 4-6 green chillies, 1 egg plant, 1/4 cup pumpkin, 1/4 cup white pumpkin, 1/4 cup beans etc.

5.  1 small bunch of coriander leaves, chopped, for garnish.

6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.

7. Coriander powder -  2 tsp. 

8. Salt as required.

For sambar masala:

1. Chana dal- 1 table spoon.

2. Urad dal – 1 tbspn.

3. Cumin- 1 tsp.

4. Fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp.

5. Black pepper – 2 tsp.

6. Whole red chilly – 6-8 nos.

7. Curry leaves.

8. Coriander seeds  - 2tbspn.

9. Asofetida – 1 tsp.

10. Grated coconut – ½ cup.

11. Shallots – 4-5 nos.

For the seasoning

1. Mustard seeds -1 tsp

2. Red Chilli - 1

3. Curry leaves – few

4. oil- 1 table spoon.

Method of Preparation:

1. Soak dal in hot water for 20 minutes and pressure cook for 30 minutes.

2. Soak tamarind in hot water and extract 1 cups of tamarind juice and discard the pulp.

3.Take oil in a pan and roast chana dal,  urad dal, cumin, fenugreek seeds, black pepper, whole red chilly, curry leaves, coriander seeds, asafetida and grated coconut . Allow it to cool and make a fine paste.

4. Chop the vegetables and keep it aside. Slit the green chili into two pieces.You can use any vegetables like beans, carrot, cauliflower, potato, brinjal, yam, drum stick, pumkin, ash pumkin, banana etc.

6. Once the dal is well cooked, add vegetable, salt and turmeric powder.

7. When vegetables are cooked well, transfer the grounded paste to this mixture. Allow it to boil.

8. Add tamarind juice and enough amount of salt. Allow it to boil.

9. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and curry leaves.

10.Then remove from heat.     

11.In a pan heat oil, add mustard seed, whole red chillies and curry leaves.

12.Now pour this over the simmering sambar.

13.Serve with Idlis,rice or dosa.

Tips for tasty sambar:

1. If your sambar is sour, then you have added more tamarind.

2.You can adjust the consistency of sambar by adding a little water along with dal.

3.The taste of the sambar depends or varies according to the sambar powder and vegetables used.