mullangi sambar recipe with step by step photos – posting an easy radish sambar recipe. sambar is one dish that is always on the menu at home once a week. so sometimes i make kerala style mix vegetable sambar and sometimes its 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 leave 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. there are many recipes made with mullangi.
few such mullangi recipes are:
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 recipe. 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.
if you are looking for more south indian recipes then do check:
mullangi sambar recipe
ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
for cooking dal
- 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 (haldi) 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 (rai)
- 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 (sookhi lal mirch)
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- ½ teaspoon urad dal (black gram) - optional
- 1 sprig curry leaves (kadi patta)
- 1 medium size tomatoes - chopped
- 2 tablespoon oil
- salt as required
- sugar or jaggery (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (haldi) - for adding in sambar
- 1 to 1.5 cups water for sambar
how to make mullangi sambar recipe
preparation for mullangi sambar recipe
pick and rinse the dal well. pressure cook the dal with a pinch of turmeric in 2 or 2.5 cups water for 6 to 7 whistles on medium flame.
meanwhile as the dal is 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 dal would be cooked. if the dal is not cooked, then pressure cook again adding some water if required.
lightly mash the cooked dal with a wooden spoon and keep 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.
preparation to make radish sambar or mullangi sambar
1. pick and then rinse ½ cup of arhar dal (tuvar dal) 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 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.
10. 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.
Thank you for the recipe. Can you please tell me if i can cook radish along with the dal in different containers but same cooker?
yes you can. soak dal for 15 to 20 minutes before pressure cooking.
Dear Dasanna,
Often times the radish turns bitter after cooking. How to avoid this ?
use radish which is tender. tender radishes are not bitter. the radishes which are dense and fibrous do sometimes become bitter after cooking. i always buy tender radishes. so i do not know any method which removes the bitterness from them.
Awesome recipe. I love radish sambar. Will try this!
thanks ananya. do try and happy cooking.
I wasn’t quite sure when to put the arhar dal in the pot with cooked radis, so I did it at the same moment I added the sambar powder. Not sure if this is the right way to make a sambar, but it was good anyway.
once the radish are cooked, then the dal has to be added. what you did was right. generally, dal and sambar powder is added at the same time. thanks for letting me know. i will update the post.
Such a simple recipe so yum! Thanks ?
welcome ruth and thankyou 🙂