Legumes are a healthy and economical way to add extra protein to our diet. And we take pride in the numerous  traditional and regional recipes which makes us distinct and special. Be it the sweet Dal from Gujarat, spicy usli from Andhra or Sambhar from Tamil Nadu.

When many readers asked me to post Sambhar vada recipe in Lite Bite,  I was a bit hesitant. For Lite Bite is reserved only for healthy recipes and is devoid of any kind of fried dishes. But then my other blog Different Strokes came to my rescue.

So you can find the recipe of vada there and sambhar here 🙂

Sambhar Powder

Ingredients for Sambar powder;

Though there are many ways you can make sambhar powder, these recipes given below is devoid of coconut powder and can be kept for over a month in an air tight container.

1. With Channa dal or Bengal gram

• 1 cup of channa dal
• 3/4 cup of coriander seeds
• 8-10 red chillies
• 1 tsp of cumin seeds
• 1 tsp. of black pepper
• 1/4 tsp of Fenugreek (methi dana)

2. With Black Gram or Urad dal

• 2tsp. of Black gram or urad dal
• 2 tbsp of coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 3-4 dry red chillies

3. With Fenugreek seeds

• 2 tbsp Fenugreek seeds
• 15 dry red chillies
• 1/2 tsp. black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. Asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 tsp. coriander seeds

Dry roast all the ingredients and grind them into fine powder. The above proportion will adequate powder for making Sambhar for 4 people.  Increase the quantity accordingly and grind and store the sambhar powder for later use.

Ingredients for making Sambhar

• 1 cup of boiled and mashed lentils (massor) or Pigeon peas (toor dal)
• A small lump of Tamarind
• Mustard seeds
• 2-3 tsp. of Oil
• salt as desired
• 2 cups of water
• Any vegetable of your choice
• 2 tsp of Sambhar powder
• A pinch of asafoetida powder

Method: You can use lentils or pigeon peas for making the base of sambhar, both will give slightly different taste to it. Wash the gram and boil it in a pressure cooker till it is cooked. Mash the dal with the back of a ladle.

Peel and cut veggies of your choice. Carrots, drumsticks, radish, small onion goes well with this sambhar.

Take another vessel and soak tamarind in it for 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind and take out the pulp from it.

To this water add the above prepared veggies and salt. Let this veggie in tamarind boil for 15- 20 minutes till the veggies are a bit tender.

Add the sambhar powder, mashed dal and boil for another 5 minutes. Take off from fire.

Heat oil in a skillet and splutter mustard seeds in it, add the asafoetida  and the curry leaves in hot oil and pour over the prepared sambhar.

Add a teaspoon of rice flour mixed with a little water at the end to the smabhar while boiling, if you need a thicker sambhar.

Serve this hot sambhar with plain rice or Vada and enjoy a scrumptious meal at any time of the day.

sambhar vada

Check the  Vada recipe here.

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