Sambar is a warm, spicy, and tangy South Indian lentil stew with mixed vegetables, and this recipe is ready in under one hour! Perfect during cold winters, or when, like my husband, you miss home.
While my husband is from Mumbai, my in-laws are South Indian, from Kerala. Because of this, you can probably guess that Sambar and dosa, vada, or rice, and multiple types of coconut chutney, are the dishes I cook the most.
My South Indian sambar recipe is cooked all in one pot, except for the tempering. Every step is quick and easy, and in less than one hour you will have a delicious dinner ready to go. Life is too short to eat bad food, but it is also too short to take long for such an easy recipe!
💎 Why This Recipe Works
- Over the last 15 years, I have prepared toor dal sambar at least twice a month. This recipe is it!
- It is perfect if you are new to Indian cooking, as I use simple ingredients and prefer ready-made sambar powder. I will share my favorite three brands too, which I am sure you can find at your Indian grocery store.
- Serve it with peanut chutney and dosa, or with rice and cabbage thoran!
🛒 Ingredients
- Toor Dal (Pigeon Pea Lentils): Make sure you use dry toor dal, not the oily kind.
- Sambar Masala or Powder: I will share below how to make your own blend if you don't have a store-bought one, however, if you do, use it! My favorite ones are from Everest, and Eastern, to which I add some red chilli powder, or Aachi, which is spicy enough on its own for us.
- Mixed Vegetables: I buy, wash, peel, wash, and freeze my vegetables so that they are ready when I need them. For sambar, I use pearl onions or chopped red onions, Kerala cucumber (Vellarika), green beans, and carrots. I always add fresh tomatoes and potatoes, too.
- Curry Leaves: If possible, use fresh or fresh-frozen curry leaves. Their flavor is stronger and better than the dried ones.
Be sure to check the recipe card for all the ingredients and steps you need—every detail counts!
♻️ Substitutions and Variations
- Tamarind: I like to use Indian tamarind pulp and soak it in warm water. If that is not an option, you can use paste instead, however, it is saltier and stronger in flavor, so add a little bit and adjust as needed, to avoid a very strong sour taste.
- Vegetables: You can use your favorite ones for this stew! Great options and additions are pumpkin, radishes, eggplant (brinjal), okra (lady's finger), and drumsticks. Be mindful of the combination you use, as you wouldn't want to use too many bitter options, or too many sweet ones at the same time. Balance the flavors out.
- Oil for Tempering: There are many sambar recipes, however mine is vegan. Should you wish, you can do the tempering using ghee. To keep it vegan but with a twist in flavor you can try coconut oil or peanut oil too. My favorite version remains regular sunflower oil, to be honest. If you’re curious about other options, check out my guide on ghee substitutes to find what best suits your needs.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make (step-by-step)
- In a pressure cooker add the water, lentils, salt, turmeric, and oil, and cook until mushy. [Picture 1]
- The cooked dal will be quite thick at this point, so mix it well. [Picture 2]
- Add all the chopped vegetables to the mashed dal and cover them with water [Picture 3], and cook them until soft.
- Add the tamarind water and sambar masala paste to the cooking dal sambar and finish cooking/ [Picture 4]
- While the last cooking process is taking place, prepare the tempering (tadka) and add it on top of the sambar. [Picture 5]
- Mix the hot sambar well and it is ready to be enjoyed! [Picture 6]
- Serve hot with dosa, vada, or idli and chutney, or a bowl of hot steamed rice, some yogurt curry, and fried papad or papadom. You may want your sambar to be thicker for dosa and vada, while it can be thinner for rice - in any case, you can adjust it to your preference and liking!
🙋♀️ People Also Ask [FAQs]
Lentils should be cooked until they are soft and can be easily mashed. This usually takes about 20-25 minutes in a regular pot or 6-8 whistles in a pressure cooker.
Soak tamarind in warm water for at least 10-15 minutes, then squeeze out the juice and strain to remove seeds and fibers. Alternatively, use tamarind paste as a quicker option.
To make sambar powder at home, start by popping 2 cups of coriander seeds in a little coconut oil until aromatic and set aside. In the same pan, roast ½ cup cumin seeds, 4 tablespoon urad dal, 4 tablespoon fenugreek seeds, and 2 tablespoon chana dal, adding more oil if needed. Once nearly roasted, add 1 cup curry leaves and roast until aromatic. Set aside with coriander seeds. Roast 200 grams of whole dry red chilies in more oil until crispy. Cool all the roasted spices, then grind them with 2 teaspoon turmeric powder to a fine paste. You can also add peppercorns for extra flavor.
Once the sambar reaches room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze it for up to three months. To serve, simply thaw it overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stove, adding more water and salt if required.
💡 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Fresh Cilantro or Coriander Leaves: Before serving, you can sprinkle some on top of your bowl of sambar for added freshness.
- Rest the Sambar: Let the sambar rest for a while before serving. The resting period allows the flavors to intensify and meld together, often making it taste better the next day.
🍽️ Recipe
Easy Sambar Recipe
Ingredients
To cook lentils
- 150 g Pigeon Pea Lentils dry toor dal
- 600 ml Water room temperature
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1 teaspoon Sunflower Oil
Vegetables
- 2 Medium Tomatoes
- 100 g Onions of Choice
- 200 g Potatoes
- 50 g Green Beans
- 50 g Carrots
- 50 g Kerala Cucumber
Spices
- 50 g Sambar Powder
- 10 g Tamarind Pulp
- 1 tablespoon Red Chilli Powder
For the Tempering (tadka)
- 1 tablespoon Sunflowe Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 15-25 Curry Leaves
- 1-2 Dry Red Chillies
Instructions
- Put the tamarind pulp in a cup of hot water and allow it infuse.
- Wash and chop all the vegetables. It is best if these can be all about the same size, as it allow for even cooking.
- Add the sambar powder and extra chilli powder (if used) into a bowl and add water to it to create a thick, smooth paste. This will make it easier to add to the soup.
- Rinse the lentils under cold running water.
- In a pressure cooker add the water, lentils, salt, turmeric, and oil. Seal the cooker and cook on high heat. Once the water boils, reduce the heat to medium low and cook the lentils for 20-25 minutes. Finally, remove from the heat and allow the pressure to be naturally released; this process should take about 10 minutes. ALTERNATIVE: If you are cooking the dal by counting the whistles, then follow the same procedure, but instead wait for four-six whistles on high flame, and then reduce to medium heat and cook for a further 5-7 minutes. Release the pressure naturally.
- The cooked dal will be quite thick at this point, so mix it well.
- Add all the chopped vegetables to the same pan and cover them with water. Should the consistency get too thick at any point during the cooking process, you can simply add more water to the pan.
- Bring the vegetable stew to a boil on high heat, and then cook the vegetables on medium heat until soft. This process will take about 10 minutes.
- Squeeze the pulp of the tamarind and retain the water.
- Add the tamarind water and sambar masala paste to the cooking dal sambar and mix well. Continue cooking the stew on low heat for a further 10 minutes; you will need this process to be just a light simmer. Add more water if needed, and taste for seasoning.
- While the last cooking process is taking place, prepare the tempering (tadka). Heat up some more oil in a small pan. Once hot, add the mustard seeds. The mustard seeds will splatter immediately, and after about 10-15 seconds add the asafoetida (hing) and mix well. After a further 10-15 seconds, add the dry red chilli and curry leaves. Once more mix well and after about 10-15 seconds more, add the tempering on top of the sambar.
- Be mindful when adding the hot tempering to the South Indian stew as it may create some splashes.
- Mix the hot sambar well and it is ready to be enjoyed!
- Serve hot with dosa, vada, or idli and chutney, or a bowl of hot steamed rice and some yogurt curry and fried papad or papadom. You may want your sambar to be thicker for dosa and vada, while it can be thinner for rice - in any case, you can adjust it to your preference and liking!
Wendi Fretwell says
My husband and I always enjoy Sambar during our winter holidays in Kerala. Thank you for this authentic recipe!
Elle says
Thank you, Wendi! I am glad you like the recipe!
Raj Kumar says
This is the best sambar recipe I have found over the years. Well done!
Elle says
Thank you, Raj! Tasty and easy!
Sarah Ross says
I was looking for this recipe since I tried this back in India during my visit. It came really delicious same like I had in Kerala. Thank you for this amazing tasty and healthy recipe.
Elle says
Thank you, Sarah! It is authentic and that is how I get Jay to have it too!