The key ingredients are for making Sambar are:
- yellow lentils also called as tuvar , tur or arhar dal and
- various vegetables mixed with
- spices mixture or powder, coconut paste and tamarind juice.
The vegetables that we can use in sambhar are:
- eggplant (baingan, vangi) ,
- drumsticks
- shallots
- ladyfingers (bhindi, bhendi),
- yam (suran),
- colocasia (arbi, arvi),
- bottlegourd (lauki, ghia, doodhi),
- pumpkin (petha),
- french beans
- radish,
- potatoes,
- raw banana.
You can also use your own choice of vegetables.
The spices that are used in Sambhar are:
- coriander seeds,
- mustard seeds,
- fenugreek seeds,
- cumin seeds,
- asafoetida,
- cinnamon,
- cloves,
- peppercorns,
- green cardamom,
- raw rice,
- gram dal (chana dal),
- curry leaves,
- red chillies.
Traditionally the above spices are roasted or fried with onions in coconut oil or in any good vegetable oil. Then they are mixed with grated fresh coconut, chopped garlic and ginger, tomatoes and then made into a fine paste. This paste is the ground sambhar masala. Later this paste is added to the cooked dal and half- cooked vegetables along with tamarind paste.
After the sambar is done it is tempered with a fried mixture of curry leaves, red chillies, asafoetida, fenugreek seeds and mustard seeds.
The main ingredients that one should use for the ground sambhar masala are:
- coriander seeds,
- mustard seeds,
- fenugreek seeds,
- cumin seeds,
- asafoetida,
- curry leaves,
- chana dal,
- red chillies,
- peppercorns,
- cloves,
- shallots or onion,
- fresh coconut.
Skipping one or two other ingredients will make a subtle change in the flavor and taste of sambhar. But nothing to worry about.
Please note that the above ground masala has to be used soon after it is made. You cannot store it as it has fresh coconut and it spoils if kept for a long time.
However, there is an alternative that is available. Nowadays we get dry sambhar powder in food stores that we can use instead of the above paste. This is made from roasted dry ingredients namely coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, red chillies, peppercorns, raw rice. Some people make the sambhar powder in their homes too. Choose and do whatever is easy for yourself.
The taste of sambar made in the traditional way is different from the one made with sambhar powder. Both taste good, but the tastes are different. Here you will find the link for an easy method of making sambhar in less time using the sambhar powder: An easy sambhar recipe
