Homemade Sambar Powder Recipe with step by step pictures. This recipe will help you to make fresh, fragrant and flavorful homemade sambar powder which makes the best sambar recipe. It can also be added to all south Indian dishes.
Homemade Sambar Powder
Sambar is one of the important part in our cuisine. We make it at least couple of days a week. Amma never buys readymade sambar powder, she says that it is waste to get a small pack which we go through fast. She has never made sambar powder as well, what she do is mix few spice powders together and add it to sambar. It taste good. You can check out all my sambar recipe, I follow that always.
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But I specially make my version of sambar powder every month. This gives intense taste to the sambar and make it taste so delicious. You definitely get unique hotel style taste whenever you use sambar powder. It tasted so different than out usual sambar. My sister was drinking that all by itself. Now this sambar powder is in my spice cupboard always. I hope it will be in yours too.
About Sambar Powder
Sambar is a staple dish in all South Indian menu. It is made with a combination of vegetables, dals and spices. You can use variety of mixed vegetables or make sambar with just a single vegetable. The taste and flavour of sambar is achieved by the special sambar powder used.
Sambar powder is made with a blend of whole spices like coriander seeds, cumin, black pepper, chillies, mustard and more spices. The spices are dry roasted and ground to a powder. This makes the sambar more flavourful and tasty.
Every household has their own blend of spices and secret sambar powder recipe. And this is mine. I like to add lentils in my sambar powder which makes it not only delicious but flavourful too.
Ingredients for Sambar Powder
- Dry Red Chilli
- Whole Coriander Seeds / Mullu Malli
- Mustard Seeds / Kaduku
- Fenugreek Seeds / Methi / Vendayam
- Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam
- Toor dal / Tuvaram Paruppu
- Channa dal / Kadalai Paruppu
- Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu
- Whole Pepper
- Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi
- Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya podi
How to Make Homemade Sambar Powder
- Take a heavy bottom pan. Heat it on a very low heat.
- First add in all the three dals, roast them for few mins till they turn couple shades darker.
- Now add in pepper, fenugreek, coriander seeds and roast them for few mins till they turn light golden.
- Now add in dry red chilli and roast them for few mins.
- Add in mustard and cumin seeds. Roast all these ingredients till they turn nice and golden.
- Remove them to a bowl and allow it to cool down completely.
- Take them in a blender and powder it little, add in turmeric powder and asafoetida powder and powder all these finely.
- Transfer it to a plate or paper to cool it completely.
- Store this in air tight container.
How to Make Homemade Sambar Powder (Stepwise Pictures)
Roasting Spices & Dal
1)Take toor dal and urad dal in a kadai. Dry roast on low heat till it gets slightly golden in colour.
2)Now the dals are well roasted.
3)Add in black pepper.
4)Add in fenugreek seeds.
5)Add in coriander seeds.
6)Roast all these spices on low heat till aromatic.
7)Add in dry red chillies.
8)Roast the chilles on low heat till it gets crispy and slightly golden.
9)Add in mustard seeds.
10)Add in cumin seeds.
11)Roast all the ingredients on low till aromatic.
Grinding Spices
12)Remove all the spices to a bowl and allow them to cool completely.
13)Take the roasted spices in a blender.
14)Add in turmeric powder. You can add in some asafoetida powder as well.
15)Grind this to a fine powder. Store in an air tight bottle.
Expert Tips
- Roast all the ingredients on a very low flame.
- I have added all ingredients together and roasted, if you are scared that you will burn any of the spices, then roast all the spices separately one at a time and grind them together.
- Store this in an air tight container.
- If you are making a huge batch and you want to store it for longer time, then i suggest you to store them in fridge. Remove small amount of powder in a small container and keep in cupboard.
More Homemade Spice Mix
📖 Recipe Card
Homemade Sambar Powder Recipe (Sambar Podi)
Ingredients
- 3 cup Dry Red Chilli
- 1.5 cup Whole Coriander Seeds / Mullu Malli
- 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds / Kaduku
- 2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds / Methi / Vendayam
- 2 tbsp Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam
- 3 tbsp Toor dal / Tuvaram Paruppu
- 3 tbsp Channa dal / Kadalai Paruppu
- 3 tbsp Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu
- 2 tbsp Whole Pepper
- 2 tbsp Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi
- 1 tsp Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya podi
Instructions
- Take a heavy bottom pan. Heat it on a very low heat. First add in all the three dals, roast them for few mins till they turn couple shades darker.
- Now add in pepper, fenugreek, coriander seeds and roast them for few mins till they turn light golden.
- Now add in dry red chilli and roast them for few mins.
- Add in mustard and cumin seeds. Roast all these ingredients till they turn nice and golden.
- Remove them to a bowl and allow it to cool down completely.
- Take them in a blender and powder it little, add in turmeric powder and asafoetida powder and powder all these finely.
- Transfer it to a plate or paper to cool it completely.
- Store this in an air tight container.
Notes
- Roast all the ingredients on a very low flame.
- I have added all ingredients together and roasted, if you are scared that you will burn any of the spices, then roast all the spices separately one at a time and grind them together.
- Store this in an air tight container.
- If you are making a huge batch and you want to store it for longer time, then i suggest you to store them in fridge. Remove small amount of powder in a small container and keep in cupboard.
Nutrition
If you have any questions not covered in this post and if you need help, leave me a comment or mail me @[email protected] and I’ll help as soon as I can.
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Sadhana
Hi, Is it essential to add toor dal to the mixture inspite of that being the main ingredient in preparing Sambhar??
Anonymous
can we add coconut to grind it
M D
I absolutely loved ur blog! Fabulous! Love the step by steps. 🙂
Aarthi
@AnonymousIf you add coconut then the powder wont stay for a long time. It will get spoiled.
Aarthi
@SadhanaAdding roasted toor dal adds another dimension of flavour to the powder. If you dont want you can leave it, but i strongly recommend adding it.
Sindhu
Hi Arthi,
Tried your Sambar podi receipe..It's awesome...Also please give home made pulikulambu powder receipe also.....
Sindhu
Hi Arthi
Tried your Sambhar podi reciepe..It's awesome....Please give the receipe for puli kulambu podi also....
Neechadi
@Sindhu
Sambar is a tasty dish. Preparation of sambar is an art not many know of. This article captures the process very diligently... There are many ready mixes of sambar powder are available in market such as http://hemsfoods.com/products/sambar-powder. People can try using those.
Anonymous
Is it mandatory to add hing? Does it make a big difference in taste if we skip it?
Thanks
Aarthi
@AnonymousHing is a must ingredient, it gives the aroma for the sambar. So try to get your hands on those
pf
Hi Aarthi,i tried this sambar powder ,its very nice and very different from what i was using all these day...thanks for the recipe...
Anonymous
I get hyperacidity with red chillies. I always try to avoid it. Can I substitute it with peppercorns?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyou can skip it. And when u make sambar just add which ever spice ingredient you prefer.
Anonymous
Can we also add Curry Leaves?
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can
Sandhiya
This is my third time making your sambhar podi recipe. I have to say it's tastes very authentic and my shallot sambhar tastes yum!! Thank you for sharing your recipe with us <3
Sakthi
Hi, Can you give the measurements in grams or Kgs
Nikhath S
How to add coconut and jagery in sambar
Aarthi
You could add it when making sambar.
Sandiya
Hi I love all your cooking photos and instructions so clear n easy to follow thank u so much
Can you please give a recipe for chai masala pls we drink lots of tea
Thanking u
Anonymous
Awesome recipe
Anonymous
Hi can u give the measurements for red chilli and coriander seeds in grams.thanks
Aarthi
@Anonymousnot sure about the grams, u can measure it in one single cup
Thilagavanirajeshkumar
Hw much month its good
monica
Hi aarthi..I'm new to your blog but even though I fall in love with all ur recipes... Can you tell me how much does ur 1 cup measures in ml..
Aarthi
@monicamy 1 cup measures 240 ml
Aarthi
@Thilagavanirajeshkumarit will be good for over 2 to 3 months. Store in fridge for long shelf life and to retain freshness
RANJITHAM PRINCE
please give the measurement of redchilli and malli in grams.
Aarthi
@RANJITHAM PRINCE not sure about the grams, u can measure it in one single cup
Sanjana
Hi,i have tried your sambar powder recipe.First time I followed all the above instructions and it came perfect.but the second time when I tried the same, the pepper mix when high it seems, can u suggest me a tip to alter the same?
Aarthi
@Sanjanaadd some more coriander and chana dal
Anonymous
1 cup means how much quantity in ml. Please tell.
Aarthi
@Anonymousmy 1 cup measures 240 ml
Anonymous
somehow this didn't turn out flavorful at all..
Aarthi
@Anonymoussorry to hear it, what problem did you faced
Kalpana Anbalagan
Hi, can u please tell everything in terms of grams..So that we can be more sure.
Aarthi
@Kalpana Anbalaganuse single cup to measure all these
Anonymous
Can you let me know how many grams of red chilly to use ?
Dimple Kaur
hi Aarthi....love your recipe they are amazing....can you please upload chai masala recipe...
Basi
Can i use this sambar powder to other puli kulambu.. Plz reply
Aarthi
Yes u can use
Lakshmi
Hi,
Could you give the recipe for ITC Thanjavur Sambar powder.
I like your recipes a lot and follow you in FB . Keep up the good work
Regards,
Lakshmi