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South Indian · Indian

Sambar

Vegetarian

சாம்பார்

South India's everyday lentil and vegetable stew: toor dal simmered with tamarind, mixed vegetables and a roasted sambar spice blend, finished with a mustard-seed and curry-leaf tempering.

Sambar is a South Indian curry, ready in about 1 hour and made with toor dal (split pigeon peas) and tamarind paste. It serves 6 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
15 min
Cook
45 min
Total
1 h
Serves
6
Level
Easy
Calories
192

Ingredients

6 servings

Sambar powder

For the tadka

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Cook the dal with 450 ml of the water and the turmeric (opens in a new tab) until completely soft (3–4 whistles in a pressure cooker (opens in a new tab), or 35–40 minutes in a pot). Mash smooth.

    Potatoes being mashed
    How it looks · Photo: Mateusz Feliksik on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    For the sambar powder, dry-roast the coriander, chillies, fenugreek (opens in a new tab), cumin (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab) until fragrant and a shade darker. Cool and grind finely.

  3. Step 3

    Simmer the shallots (opens in a new tab), tomato (opens in a new tab), aubergine (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab), pumpkin (opens in a new tab) and green chillies in the remaining water with the tamarind and salt until the vegetables are just tender.

    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Stir in the sambar powder and the mashed dal (and jaggery if using) and simmer until it thickens to a pourable stew.

    • 8 min
    • medium-low heat

  5. Step 5

    Heat the oil, pop the mustard seeds (opens in a new tab), then add the dried chillies, curry leaves (opens in a new tab) and asafoetida (opens in a new tab). Pour over the sambar and scatter with coriander.

    • 1 min
    • medium heat
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Tamil Nadu, India · Commonly attributedEaten throughout South India with many regional styles; it is most often associated with Tamil Nadu. Stories crediting the Thanjavur Maratha court are popular but not well documented.Also popular in Sri Lanka, Singapore, MalaysiaMore food from India
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner · Curries · Side dishes
Cooking method
Pressure-cooked, Simmered
Taste
tangy, savoury, spicy (chilli heat), aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-fibre
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-fibre · Low-fat · Carb-conscious
Without the optional extras: No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Everyday · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead · Batch cooking
Cook more with
Toor dal (split pigeon peas) · Tamarind paste · Turmeric · Shallot · Tomato · Eggplant
Techniques
Simmering · Pressure cooking · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida
  • Contains: Mustardfrom mustard seeds

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

192 kcal per serving

Estimated

1 serving ≈ 345 g · recipe makes 6

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 16%
  • Carbohydrate 64%
  • Fat 21%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy192 kcal56 kcal
Protein8 g2.3 g
Carbohydrate32.7 g9.5 g
Net carbohydrate24.8 g7.2 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre8 g2.3 g
Fat4.7 g1.4 g
Saturated fat0.4 g0.1 g
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium607 mg176 mg
Salt equivalent1.5 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
827 mg
Calcium
98 mg
Iron
3.1 mg
Magnesium
83 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
224 µg
Vitamin C
15 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
146 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: jaggery / palm sugar, coriander leaves.
  • Not counted (tiny amounts or “to taste”): curry leaves, asafoetida.
  • Tamarind paste: Raw tamarind pulp (FDC 167763). Commercial concentrates vary in water content.
  • “—” 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

  • Shop-bought sambar powder works fine: use about 2 tbsp in place of the roasted spices.

Common mistakes

  • Adding tamarind to the dal before the vegetables cook — acid slows down softening.

Serve with

  • With rice and ghee for lunch, or with idli, dosa and vada for breakfast.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Thin with water and bring to a simmer.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. 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

Used in steps 1, 3

Masalas in this recipe

Make the masala first, then come back to finish the dish.

  • Dry spice blend

    Sambar powder

    This recipe roasts and grinds it from whole spices (25 g for 6 servings). The full masala recipe explains each step in detail.

    Make Sambar powder

Reviews & corrections

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