Sambar (South Indian lentils and vegetable soup)

So, here I am, looking at my fridge and thinking hmm... what to do with all these vegetables? I see carrots, zucchini, radishes with some pumpkin and an eggplant just sitting there, looking at me expectantly, as if saying, are you going to cook me today? Now I have a variety of options, I can make a mixed vegetables Sabji with Paneer or I can also grill these vegetables and serve them as a side with a yummy homemade burger but then a fantastic idea comes to me, how about a soup and not any boring bland soup but a tasty yummy tangy soup. So today I am going to cook some Sambar and of course share the recipe with you.

Sambar is a South Indian soup, prepared with lentils and vegetables. It gets its tangy flavor from Tamarind and its unique taste is created by a spice mix which is known as Sambar Masala. It also uses a special leaf called the Curry Leaf and is prepared with Arhar dal which is also known as Pigeon Pea lentil. I know you must be thinking, these are a lot of new ingredients but don’t worry, all these can be easily found at your local Indian store.

Although Sambar can be eaten just like soup it’s very interesting to know that you can easily convert this into a main course dish by serving it with Cheela or some Vada (which are fritters prepared with a batter of lentils). My mom usually prepares everything from scratch by soaking the lentils overnight for the Vadas. She grinds the soaked lentils with some spices and then deep fries the fritters and serves them with the hot Sambar.

Since my decision to prepare Sambar was impromptu, I decided to go with a readymade dal Vada mix. I had this moong dal Vada mix of Gits company in my pantry and I thought this should go nicely with my yummy Sambar. If you like deep fried foods, you will love frying this Vada. It’s easy to make and delicious to eat.

Let’s talk about the star of the show now. Preparing Sambar is pretty easy. All you need to do is first cook the dal in a pressure cooker, then fry the vegetables with the spices, add the dal in it and its ready in just two whistles. I usually prefer a thicker Sambar than what is served in the restaurants. I add a lot of vegetables and mash it once the lid opens. This brings that thick consistency and adds a lot of flavor in every spoon. Prefer the restaurant version? easy, don’t mash the vegetables, add a cup of lukewarm water in the Sambar, mix well and adjust the salt. Its ready!

I find using a pressure cooker really handy for cooking lentils. In fact, I don’t know any other way to cook them. I would like to point here though that if you are using a cooker for the first time, always ensure that you are letting the steam to cool down completely before opening the lid. Remember pressure cooker is not for every dish but it suits perfectly for cooking this one.

I think this is a very good meal option for the kids as well. I remember my mom used to prepare several dishes like this which were tasty as well as healthy. The kids will be happy because of the Vada and you will be happy as they will be eating their vegetables in the Sambar. This one hot soup solves all the problems.

Now my mom uses the same recipe but she does a couple of things in a different way which I thought would be interesting to share here in case you want to try a different approach. She never adds radishes but rather adds some onion with some slit green chilies. She fries the vegetables in a little oil and after the whole Sambar is cooked, she tampers a spoonful of ghee (clarified butter) in a wok with the Cumin Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida, Curry Leaves and Dry Red Chilies. Once the seeds start sputtering in the oil she adds the dal in the wok and mixes everything together.

Although Sambar can be enjoyed in every season, I love to eat it during winters. I take my bowl of Sambar Vada and enjoy it near the fireplace where its all warm and toasty.

“Soup for the soul, stories for a better world”.

Ingredients: 

• Arhar dal- ½ Cup
• Salt – ½ Teaspoon 
• Turmeric Powder – ¼ Teaspoon 
• Oil - 2 Tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds – ½ Teaspoon
• Fenugreek Seed – 1/8 Teaspoon 
• Mustard Seeds – ¼ Teaspoon
• Asafoetida – ¼ teaspoon
• Curry Leaves - 10-12 washed 
• Dry Red Chilies – 4, Whole
• Tomato - 1 Large, Cut into Small Pieces 
• Carrots – ½ cup, cut into bite size pieces
• Zucchini – 1 cup, cut into bite size pieces
• Radishes - ½ cup, cut into bite size pieces
• Eggplant – 1 cup, cut into bite size pieces
• Pumpkin – 1 cup, cut into bite size pieces
• Tamarind Pulp - 2 Tablespoons 
• Sambar Powder – 2 Tablespoons

Let’s cook the dal:

• Add the dal in the pressure cooker along with the Salt, Turmeric powder and a teaspoon of Oil. 
• Add 3 cups of water in it and mix well.
• Close the cooker and put it on medium heat. Make sure you put the whistle and rubber on the lid and close it properly.
• When the cooker whistles for 2-3 times, turn off the heat and let it cool down.
• Once the pressure drops and the lid opens proceed to the below steps.

Directions to prepare the Sambar:

• Transfer the dal to a microwave safe bowl.
• Wash the cooker lightly and heat it on medium high heat.
• Add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of Oil in it and after a few seconds add the whole spices (Cumin Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds, Mustard Seeds, Asafoetida, Curry Leaves and Dry Red Chilies) in it.
• Once the seeds start sputtering, lower the heat to medium and start adding the vegetables (Tomato, Carrots, Zucchini, Radishes, Eggplant and Pumpkin) in it.
• Fry the vegetables for a couple of minutes then add the Sambar Powder and mix well. 
• Finally add the Tamarind Pulp with half a cup of water and mix everything together.
• Add the dal in the cooker, mix well and close the cooker. Now we will wait for two whistles.
• Turn off the heat and let the cooker cool down. Once the pressure drops and the lid opens, check if you like the consistency. I like my Sambar thick so I mash all the vegetables using a big ladle. If you like yours thin, then add a cup of lukewarm water and adjust the Salt.
• Serve the dal hot like a soup or serve it with Cheela or Dal Vada.

Tip:

• Fenugreek seeds are bitter in taste so do not increase the amount. Just a pinch is enough.

Recommended Reading:

• Excited to use new spices? Know more about Hing (Asafoetida)
• Excited to use new spices? Know more about Methi (Fenugreek)
• How to make Tamarind Pulp?
• Arhar Dal (Toor Dal or Split Yellow Pigeon Peas Soup)
• Cholar Dal (Bengali recipe: Chana Dal/ Split Bengal gram)
• Achari Kaddu (Spiced stir-fried Pumpkin)
• Cholar dal diye Kumror Torkari (Mamma’s Pumpkin Gravy with Split Bengal Gram)
• Mixed Dal with Cilantro (Arhar-Masoor Dal with Dhania garnish)
• Panch Mesali (Bengali recipe: Mixed Vegetables)