Sambar With Mixed Vegetables
Sambar is a nutritious South Indian curry prepared with tuvar dal (pigeon pea), mixed vegetables, spices, herbs, and sambar powder. It is served with rice, idlis, dosas, and vadas.Speaking of vadas, who can deny that vada and sambar are a match made in heaven! So, I end up preparing sambar once a week as it serves as the perfect side dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.If you travel to South India, you'll find many versions of sambar. In Tamil Nadu, this tasty dish is predominantly prepared with radish and pumpkin, although drumstick and brinjal are also used. The Karnataka-style sambar has a hint of sweetness as a bit of jaggery is added to this yummy dish.The Kerala Style Sambar recipe includes vegetables such as yam, drumstick, carrot, beans, shallots, and tomatoes.The Ladies Finger, Potato, and Shallot Sambar has a slightly different taste and texture, even though the sambar masala is the same.In India, every family has its version of sambar. The key to a tasty sambar lies in its ingredients such as asafoetida, cumin, coriander seeds, and fenugreek seeds. As there are many good store-bought masalas available in the market, one can buy them to save time. If you have the time, you can make your own Homemade Sambar Masala and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
- 1 Seasoning pan
Ingredients
- 2 nos. Drumsticks (cut into medium pieces)
- 250 gms Yam (cut into medium pieces)
- 3 nos. Tomatoes
- 5 nos. Beans
- 3 nos. Brinjal (small)
- 4 nos. Shallots (peeled)
- ½ cup Tuvar dal (pigeon pea)
- 1 tsp Tamarind pulp
- ½ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Red chilli powder
- ½ tsp Asafoetida
- 1 tsp Sambar powder (homemade or store bought)
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp Salt or as per taste
For Seasoning
- 2 tbsps Sunflower oil/coconut oil
- ½ tsp Mustard seeds
- ½ cup Shallots (chopped)
- 2 nos. Green chillies
- 10 nos. Curry leaves
- 1 tsp Coriander powder
For Garnishing
- 2 tbsps Coriander leaves (chopped)
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds (roasted and powdered)
Instructions
How to prepare sambar with mixed vegetables?
- Wash tuvar dal thoroughly and soak in 1 cup of water for half an hour. Drain the water. Transfer it to a pressure cooker, add 2 cups of water and ½ tsp of oil. (Oil is added so that the dal doesn't come up through the whistle while cooking.)Pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles. Once the steam is released, add in the yams, drumstick pieces, tomatoes, beans, and shallots.
- Add the chilli powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder, asafoetida, and salt to the cooker. Pour in 2 cups of water. Mix well. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
- Once the dal and vegetables are cooked, add one tsp of tamarind pulp, stir, and simmer for 1 minute. Do not overcook the vegetables. Switch off the flame.
Seasoning
- Heat oil in a deep pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped shallots, fry till they turn light brown. Add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove. Add coriander powder and fry for one minute. It will fry in the heat.
- Pour this seasoning over the cooked dal and vegetables and mix well. Add coriander leaves and stir, and switch off the flame.Lastly, add roasted fenugreek seed powder. Mix well.
Notes
Sambar is a rich source of protein, as dal is a great source of vegetarian protein. It is also high in fibre and easily digestible.
If drumsticks are tender, add them only after other vegetables are cooked in the cooker. Only one whistle is required for drumsticks.
Tamarind is a natural preservative and increases the shelf life of the sambar.