Pumpkin Sambar Recipe (Poosanikai Sambar) with step by step pictures. This recipe is made with pumpkin, lentils, tamarind, and spices blend together. It can be served along with hot rice topped with ghee.

Pumpkin Sambar
I have recently started liking pumpkin a lot. So whenever we go to our veg shop, i somehow manage to find a small cute pumpkin. During my last visit also i got one. I was thinking what to make with it. Suddenly i decided to make sambar to go with my kuthiraivali pongal. And it was so yum.
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Ingredients for Pumpkin Sambar Recipe (Poosanikai Sambar)
- Toor Dal / Tuvaram Paruppu - ½ cup
- Water - 2 cup
- Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi - 1 tsp
For Sambar:
- Pumpkin - ½ a small one cubed
- Oil - 1 tbsp
- Mustard Seeds / Kaduku - 1 tsp
- Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam - 1 tsp
- Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya Podi - ¼ tsp
- Curry Leaves - a sprig
- Onion - 1 large peeled and sliced
- Green chillies - 2 slit
- Coriander Powder / Malli Podi - 2 tbsp
- Chilli Powder - 2 tsp
- Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi - 1 tsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar / Jaggery - ½ tsp
- Tamarind Pulp - 2 tablespoon or to taste
- Water as needed

How to Make Pumpkin Sambar (Poosanikai Sambar)
- Take dal, water and turmeric powder in a cooker. Cover and pressure cook for 3 whistle. Simmer for 5 mins.
- Turn off the cooker and let the steam escape all by itself. Open and mash the dal well. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pot. Add in mustard, cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute for a min.
- Add in onions, green chillies. Saute this till light golden.
- Add in chopped pumpkin and mix well.
- Now add in some salt and sugar, Mix well.
- Add in all spice powder and mix well.
- Add in cooked dal, tamarind pulp and some water to thin the sambar. Mix well.
- Bring this to boil, simmer for 5 to 8 mins.
- Serve.

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Pumpkin Sambar Recipe | Poosanikai Sambar Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Toor Dal / Tuvaram Paruppu
- 2 cups Water
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi
- For Sambar:
- ½ a small one cubed Pumpkin
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds / Kaduku
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya Podi
- Curry Leaves - a sprig
- 1 large Onion peeled and sliced
- 2 slit Green chillies
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Powder / Malli Podi -
- 2 teaspoon Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon Sugar / Jaggery
- 2 tablespoon or to taste Tamarind Pulp
- Water as needed
Instructions
- Take dal, water and turmeric powder in a cooker. Cover and pressure cook for 3 whistle. Simmer for 5 mins.
- Turn off the cooker and let the steam escape all by itself. Open and mash the dal well. Set aside.
- Heat oil in a pot. Add in mustard, cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida. Saute for a min.
- Add in onions, green chillies. Saute this till light golden.
- Add in chopped pumpkin and mix well.
- Now add in some salt and sugar, Mix well.
- Add in all spice powder and mix well.
- Add in cooked dal, tamarind pulp and some water to thin the sambar. Mix well.
- Bring this to boil, simmer for 5 to 8 mins.
- Serve.
Nutrition
Pumpkin Sambar Recipe Step by Step
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Take pumpkin |
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Cut it into pieces |
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Now chop them |
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Take washed toor dal in a pressure cooker |
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add in water |
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add in turmeric powder |
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pressure cook |
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dal is cooked |
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Take your remaining ingredients |
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Heat oil in a pan |
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Add in mustard, cumin and curry leaves |
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Add in asafoetida |
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onions and chillies |
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Saute till light golden |
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add in chopped pumpkin |
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Mix that around |
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Add in salt and sugar |
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Mix well |
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Add water |
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cook till the pumpkin is cooked |
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Add in chilli, coriander and turmeric powder |
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mix well |
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Add in tamarind pulp |
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cooked dal along with some water |
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Simmer this for few mins |
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Done |
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Serve |

Anonymous
I prepared this today. It was the yummiest pumpkin dish.
Anonymous
Thanks for the wonderful recipe Aarti! Made this a few times and each time comes out better than before!
Radhika
yummmy sambar great fusion with pumpkin in sambhar