Home-style Sambar | South Indian Sambar | Perfect Vegan Indian Curry

Sambar a typical South Indian staple and my most favorite curry any day of the week. This is an old post where I have updated with new pics. Being a South Indian, this is my favorite and healthy dish that we do at home, atleast once a week. Since the oil content is less its healthy, dhal is rich in protein.
My first challenge after marriage was doing Sambar, though I did try this back at home, it took me a while to get the taste and alter it to my husbands taste. He likes sambar to be nice and thick so I have to add more Dhal than usual. You could still follow the recipe and reduce the dhal proportion to suit your taste.

DRUMSTICK SAMBAR RECIPE

Prep & Cook time ~ 30 mins

Serves ~ 3-4 

Recipe Source ~ Own

Serving Suggestion ~ White Rice, Appalam or Dosa/Idly

Ingredients

Thoor Dhal - 1/2 cup

Tamarind paste - 2 spoons/ goft-sized ball

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Jeera seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder/ Sambar powder - 1-2 tsp

Garlic pods - 5-6 peeled 

Green chili - 2 slip in center

Onion - 1 medium, chopped

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Drumsticks - 1 chopped 1 inch size pieces (optional)

Curry leaves - one spring 

Coriander leaves - finely chopped (garnishing)

Salt- as per taste

Oil (refined,sunflower) - 2 tsp

Method 

• Wash and soak dhal in hot water for 30 mins-1 hr and put it in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles, add salt, hing and turmeric to this
• Once it is cooked to this add the chopped onions, tomato and vegetable you prefer, let it cook. 
• Add the red chilli powder and garlic and give it a good stir, let it cook for 5 mins
• Soak the tamarind in hot water and keep it ready, in a small pan heat oil and add the mustard seeds and let them splutter, jeera and curry leaves and add this to the dhal mixture.
• Now add the tamarind paste to the dhal mixture and let it cook for 5 minutes

Serve hot with dosa, idlies or plain rice.

Cooks Wisdom

- You could add any vegetable to this dish - carrots, raddish, egg plant or even potatoes

- Cooking dhal in the pressure cooker reduces cooking time
- You can adjust the amount of toor dal according to how thick you want your sambar to be
- Seasoning at the end adds more flavor to the sambar but its purely optional

Linking this recipe to our lovely group Vegan Thursday hosted by Priya aks