Sambar powder
Vegetarian
சாம்பார் பொடி · sāmpār poṭi
The Tamil kitchen's sambar powder: a large quantity of coriander seeds and dried red chillies roasted with chana and toor dal, fenugreek, cumin, pepper and curry leaves, then ground with turmeric and asafoetida into a coarse, brick-red powder.
Sambar powder is a South Indian condiment, ready in about 38 minutes and made with coriander seeds and dried whole chillies. It serves 22 and is rated easy to cook.
No licensed photograph of this dish yet.
- Prep
- 5 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Rest
- 15 min
- Total
- 38 min
- Serves
- 22
- Level
- Easy
- Calories
- 23
Method
Step 1
Heat the oil in a heavy pan over medium-low heat. Fry the asafoetida (opens in a new tab) for a few seconds, then the chillies, pressing and turning, for 2 minutes until crisp, puffed and a shade darker. Tip out.
- 3 min
- medium-low heat
- Cast-iron skillet (opens in a new tab)
Food safety: Roast in a dry pan, never one with water droplets; and grind in short bursts — chilli dust from the grinder lid stings eyes and throat, so let it settle before opening.
Step 2
In the same pan, dry-roast the coriander seeds (opens in a new tab) for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until fragrant and a shade darker. Tip out.
- 5 min
- medium-low heat
Step 3
Roast the chana and toor dal (opens in a new tab) together for 4–5 minutes until evenly golden and nutty; tip out. Roast the cumin and pepper for 1–2 minutes.
- 6 min
- medium-low heat
Step 4
Lower the heat and roast the fenugreek (opens in a new tab) seeds alone for about 1 minute until reddish-brown — no darker, or the powder turns bitter. Finally toss the curry leaves (opens in a new tab) until crisp and dry.
- 2 min
- low heat
Curry leaves must crumble between your fingers; any moisture left in them shortens the powder's life.
Step 5
Spread everything on a tray and cool completely, 15 minutes.
- 15 min
Step 6
Grind in batches with the turmeric (opens in a new tab) to a slightly coarse powder (like fine semolina). Mix the batches well so the dal and chilli are evenly distributed.
How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels Step 7
Spoon into a clean, completely dry glass jar or spice tin, label with the date and keep away from the stove, light and steam. Always use a dry spoon.
About this dish
- Origin
- Tamil Nadu, India · Commonly attributedEvery Tamil household grinds its own (traditionally at a local mill, in bulk); this is a representative Tamil Brahmin-style ratio. Karnataka and Andhra versions differ (see variations).Also popular in Sri LankaMore food from India
- Dish
- Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
- Cooking method
- Toasted
- Taste
- spicy (chilli heat), earthy, nutty, bitter
- Diet
- Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Low-carbWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
All labels
Vegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Low-carb · Low-sodium · DASH-style - Good for
- Make-ahead · Batch cooking · Budget-friendly
- Cook more with
- Coriander seeds · Dried whole chillies · Chana dal (split bengal gram) · Toor dal (split pigeon peas) · Cumin seeds · Black peppercorns
- Techniques
- Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)
Allergens
- May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
- May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.
Nutrition
23 kcal per serving
Estimated1 serving ≈ 7 g · recipe makes 22
Where the energy comes from
- Protein 15%
- Carbohydrate 56%
- Fat 28%
| Nutrient | Per serving | Per 100 g |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 23 kcal | 331 kcal |
| Protein | 1.1 g | 15 g |
| Carbohydrate | 4 g | 56.7 g |
| Net carbohydrate | 2.1 g | 29.5 g |
| Sugars | — | — |
| Added sugars | 0 g | 0 g |
| Fibre | 1.9 g | 27.1 g |
| Fat | 0.9 g | 13 g |
| Saturated fat | 0.1 g | 1.1 g |
| Trans fat | — | — |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 0 mg |
| Sodium | 3 mg | 40 mg |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0.1 g |
Vitamins & minerals per serving
- Potassium
- 103 mg
- Calcium
- 28 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 16 mg
- Vitamin A (RAE)
- 14 µg
- Vitamin C
- 1 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0 µg
- Vitamin B12
- 0 µg
- Folate (DFE)
- 10 µg
How these numbers were made
- Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
- Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
- Chana dal (split bengal gram): Whole raw chickpeas / bengal gram (FDC 173756) used as a stand-in for split, skinned desi chickpeas; the composition is very close.
- “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
- Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.
Good to know
Tips
- Use 1½–2 tbsp for sambar for four, simmered with the tamarind and vegetables for a few minutes before the dal goes in.
- Byadgi chillies give colour with gentle heat; Guntur chillies bring the fire. Adjust the mix to taste.
Common mistakes
- Burning the fenugreek — it is the most common cause of bitter sambar.
- Grinding while warm: the dals turn the powder pasty.
Serve with
- Sambar with idli, dosa, vada and rice.
- Vegetable kootu, poriyal and kara kuzhambu.
Food safety
- Roast in a dry pan, never one with water droplets; and grind in short bursts — chilli dust from the grinder lid stings eyes and throat, so let it settle before opening.
- Many asafoetida brands contain wheat flour; choose a gluten-free one if needed.
Storage
- Airtight in a cool cupboard for 3 months, or 6 months in the fridge.
Variations
- Karnataka (Udupi) sambar powder: Adds dry coconut, a little cinnamon and urad dal; ground finer and often with jaggery in the sambar.
- Arachuvitta sambar: Freshly roasted coriander, chillies and coconut ground wet for each pot instead of a stored powder.
Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated
About this masala
- Type
- Dry spice blend
- Texture
- Coarse powder
- One batch makes
- about 155 g
- Keeps
- about 3 months
- Store
- Airtight jar, cool dark cupboard
- Recipe
- Traditional
Tamil Nadu. Makes Sambar powder, the ingredient our dish recipes list. All masalas
Used in
Amounts are each dish’s own quantity, for the servings it is written for. “Make enough” opens this recipe scaled for that dish.
- SambarMade fresh in the recipe (dry-roasted and ground in step 2 (2 of the dried chillies are for the tadka)) · 25 g for 6 servingsMake enough
Recipe DNA
How this dish is built
Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.
What the dish is built around
Main ingredient
- Chana dal (split bengal gram), dry-roast until golden20 g
- Toor dal (split pigeon peas), dry-roast until golden20 g
Reviews & corrections
Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.
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