Mullangi sambar recipe with step by step photos. Mullangi sambar is an easy and delicious South Indian sambar made with radish or mooli. Low fat and vegan recipe.
Sambar is one dish that is always on the menu at home once a week. So sometimes I make Kerala sambar and sometimes sambar with just one veggie like spinach or red amaranth leaves or shallots or drumsticks. Radish sambar or Mullangi sambar also falls in this category.
Radish leaves their aroma and taste in this sambar. so if you like radish, then do try adding radish in sambar and you will love it. Mullangi is also known as mooli or muli or daikon in other languages.
This recipe uses sambar powder. when making sambar either make your own sambar powder or buy a good quality one. You can also quickly roast the spices for the sambar powder and grind them. Also, there is no coconut in this sambar. so less work and an easy delicious sambar to make.
The radish sambar goes very well with steamed rice and some papaddums by the side. Also pairs well with idli, dosa or uttapam.
How to make mullangi sambar
1. Pick and then rinse ½ cup of arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils) 3 to 4 times in water.
2. Add the dal in a pressure cooker and 1-2 pinch of turmeric powder. Also, add 2 or 2.5 cups of water. Pressure cook for 6 to 7 whistles or till the dal is cooked very well.
3. Meanwhile as the dal is cooking, soak 1 tablespoon of tamarind in ¼ cup water.
4. Rinse and then peel the radish.
5. Slice the peeled radish into rounds. It should be around 2 cups of sliced radish.
6. Measure all the ingredients and keep ready. Chop all the veggies that are required like shallots, tomatoes etc.
7. Once the pressure of the cooker drops down on its own. Open the lid. The dal would be cooked. If the dal is not cooked, then pressure cook again adding some water if required.
8. Lightly mash the cooked dal with a wooden spoon and keep aside.
Making mullangi sambar
9. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in another pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them splutter.
11. Now add ¼ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds) and ½ teaspoon of urad dal (husked & split black gram).
12. Fry till the urad dal turns golden.
13. Add 5 to 6 shallots or pearl onions (sliced). fry till the shallots become translucent.
14. Add 1 to 2 dry red chilies.
15. Then add ¼ teaspoon of asafoetida (hing).
16. Stir and saute for some seconds on a low flame.
17. Add 1 medium-sized tomato (chopped) and 1 sprig of curry leaves.
18. Saute till the tomatoes soften.
19. Then add the sliced radish.
20. Sprinkle ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, mix well.
21. Stir and saute for a minute.
22. Then add 1 to 1.5 cups of water or as required.
24. Sprinkle salt as required, stir well.
25. Cover and cook over medium flame till the radish slices are cooked and tender.
26. Remove the lid.
27. Then add the mashed dal.
28. Add ¼ cup of tamarind pulp and 2 to 3 teaspoons of sambar powder.
29. Add sugar or jaggery if required.
30. Simmer till the whole mixture is blended well and the raw aroma of the tamarind disappears.
31. If the mullangi sambar appears thick, then add some more water and simmer for a few minutes.
32. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve the Radish sambar with steamed rice or idli or dosa.
Few more sambar varieties
- Sambar – mix vegetable sambar.
- Idli sambar
- Drumstick sambar
If you made this recipe, please be sure to rate it in the recipe card below. Sign Up for my email newsletter or you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Pinterest or Twitter for more vegetarian inspirations.
Mullangi Sambar
By Dassana Amit
Ingredients
for cooking lentils
- ½ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
- 2 or 2.5 cups water for pressure cooking dal
- 1 to 2 pinch turmeric add while cooking lentils
for mullangi sambar
- 2 cups peeled and sliced white radish (mullangi or daikon or mooli)
- ¼ cup tamarind pulp - ¾ or 1 tablespoon tamarind soaked in ¼ cup water for 20-25 minutes and then squeezed with the juice extracted and strained.
- 2 to 3 teaspoons sambar powder
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
- 5 to 6 shallots or pearl onions (sliced or chopped)
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies - halved or kept whole
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (husked and split black gram) - optional
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 1 medium size tomatoes - chopped
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
- sugar or jaggery (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric - for adding in sambar
- 1 to 1.5 cups water for sambar
Instructions
preparation
- Pick and rinse the lentils well. Pressure cook the lentils with a pinch of turmeric in 2 or 2.5 cups water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium flame.
- Meanwhile as the lentils are cooking, soak the tamarind in ¼ cup water.
- Also chop all the veggies that are required like radish, shallots, tomatoes etc
- Once the pressure of the cooker drops down on its own, open the lid.
- The lentils would be cooked. If the lentils are not cooked, then pressure cook again adding some water if required.
- Lightly mash the cooked lentils with a wooden spoon and set aside.
Making mullangi sambar
- Heat oil in another pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.
- Now add methi seeds & urad dal. Fry till the urad dal turns golden.
- Add the shallots or pearl onions. Sauté till the shallots become translucent.
- Then add 1 to 2 dry red chilies and ¼ teaspoon of asafoetida (hing).
- Stir and saute for a minute on low flame.
- Add the tomatoes and curry leaves. Saute till the tomatoes soften.
- Then add the radish and turmeric powder. Stir and saute for a minute.
- Add water and salt. Cover and cook over medium flame till the radish slices are cooked.
- Remove the lid. Then add the mashed dal.
- Add the tamarind pulp and sambar powder. Stir and add the cooked dal.
- Add sugar or jaggery if required. Simmer till the whole mixture is blended well and the raw aroma of the tamarind disappears.
- If the radish sambar appears thick, then add some more water and simmer for a few minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
- Serve the mullangi sambar with steamed rice or idli or dosa or uttapam.
Like our videos? Then do follow and subscribe to us on youtube to get the latest Recipe Video updates.
All our content & photos are copyright protected. Please do not copy. As a blogger, if you you want to adapt this recipe or make a youtube video, then please write the recipe in your own words and give a clickable link back to the recipe on this url.
Like this Recipe?
Pin it Now to Remember it Later
Can i replace the radish with a cup of capsicum and okra each ? for the same amount of tamarind and sambar powder. I am making for 4 people.
Yes, you can do that.
Tried it tonight and OMG it’s fantastic. Reminded me of my grandmother’s cooking. I have learnt a lot from your site and continue to do so!