Sambar 🍛 South Indian Lentil Stew 🇮🇳

Description

Tangy, cozy, and spice-bright — a tomato–tamarind broth with soft lentils and mixed vegetables, finished with a sizzling mustard–curry leaf temper 🌿🔥.
Hook: One pot, 35 minutes, meal-prep friendly ⚡

Ingredients

• 🫘 Toor dal (split pigeon peas), rinsed: 200 g (1 cup / 7.1 oz)
• 💧 Water for dal: 900 ml (3¾ cups / 30 fl oz)
• 🌕 Turmeric: ½ tsp (1.5 g)
• 🧂 Salt: to taste (≈6 g / 1 tsp)
• Veg & base
• 🥕 Mixed vegetables (carrot, eggplant, okra, green beans, drumstick*), bite-size: 400–500 g (14–18 oz)
• 🍅 Tomato, chopped: 1 large (180 g / 6.3 oz)
• 🟤 Tamarind paste: 15 ml (1 tbsp / 0.5 fl oz) or tamarind water 60 ml (¼ cup / 2 fl oz)
• 🌶 Sambar powder: 2–3 tsp (6–9 g)
• 🍬 Jaggery/brown sugar (optional): 1 tsp (4 g)
• 💧 Water for stew: 600 ml (2½ cups / 20 fl oz)
• Tempering (tadka)
• 🛢 Coconut or neutral oil: 1½ tbsp (22 ml / 0.75 fl oz)
• 🌰 Black mustard seeds: ½ tsp (2 g)
• 🌱 Cumin seeds: ½ tsp (2 g)
• 🌶 Dried red chilies: 2
• 🍃 Fresh curry leaves: 10–12
• 🟤 Asafoetida (hing): 1 pinch
• 🌿 Fresh cilantro, chopped: 2 tbsp (6 g / 0.21 oz)
• *Use what you have; classic drumstick (moringa pods) is optional.

Preparation

1. 1️⃣ Cook dal: Combine 🫘 dal, 💧 water for dal, and 🌕 turmeric. Simmer 20–25 min (or pressure-cook 6–8 min) until very soft; whisk smooth. Season with 🧂 salt.
2. 2️⃣ Stew base: In a pot add 💧 water for stew, 🟤 tamarind, 🍅 tomato, 🥕 vegetables, 🌶 sambar powder, and 🧂 salt. Simmer 10–12 min until veg are tender. Stir in 🍬 jaggery (optional).
3. 3️⃣ Combine: Add the whisked dal to the pot; simmer 3–4 min more, adjusting water for desired thickness.
4. 4️⃣ Temper: Heat 🛢 oil. Add 🌰 mustard (let it crackle), then 🌱 cumin, 🌶 dried chilies, 🍃 curry leaves, 🟤 hing — sizzle 20–30 s fragrant.
5. 5️⃣ Pour the temper over the sambar, scatter 🌿 cilantro, and serve hot with rice or idli/dosa.

Total Time

🕒 Prep: 10 min

🔥 Cook: 25 min

⏳ Total: 35 min

Back to full recipe