Tiffin Sambar recipe with step by step pictures. This recipe is a simple sambar made with lentils, onions, tomatoes, spice powders. It can be served with South Indian tiffin like idli, dosa, pongal.
Tiffin Sambar Recipe
This is the sambar which you will get in all hotels along with your idli, dosa or pongal. That will be thick, creamy and full of flavors. In restaurants they won't add any vegetables except potatoes. I actually like potatoes in my sambar, they give a unique flavour and taste to the dish.
About Tiffin Sambar
Tiffin Sambar is one of the easiest recipe you could make for breakfast. It is made with basic onions, tomatoes, potatoes. Vegetables like carrots, drumstick can be added too. Sambar powder is added which is made fresh or store bought. Check out my Homemade Sambar powder recipe.
On weekdays I prefer to make the instant version. And on weekends when I have a bit of time to myself I like to roast my spices and make my sambar. The main flavouring of the Sambar comes from Sambar powder and the fresh coriander leaves.
You can serve Sambar with Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Upma and Vadas. Check out my Millet pongal which can be served with this.
Related Recipes
Ingredients
- Dal - I used a mixture of both toor dal and yellow split moong dal. I loved the combination of these two dal.
- Onion and tomato - these are the main ingredients which adds taste to the sambar. I love to use green chillies.
- Vegetables - I used only potatoes. You can use carrots and drumsticks as well.
- Spice Powders - Homemade Sambar powder, coriander and red chilli powder is used for flavouring the sambar.
- Tempering - spices like mustard, urad dal, asafoetida, dry red chillies and curry leaves add flavour.
- Oil - I always use coconut oil. you can use ghee for pure flavour.
- Seasonings - salt, jaggery, tamarind can be added as per your taste.
- Coriander leaves - even though it is a herb, it is one of the main ingredients. Make sure to add plenty of them in the end.
Step by Step Pictures
1)Take all the spice powders in a bowl. I used chilli powder, coriander powder and sambar powder.
2)Pour in some water and mix well. Set this aside. This method I learned from my Amma. She do this so the spice powders doesn't clump when added into the hot sambar.
3)Heat oil in a pot. Add in sliced onions, green chillies and tomatoes. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
4)Add in turmeric powder and saute for 30 seconds.
5)I already Pressure cooked washed Toor Dal, moong dal, potatoes for 3 whistle. Now pour this dal which is already pressure cooked with potatoes into the onion tomato mixture.
6)Mix this well. You can add more water as needed.
7)Pour in the spice paste which we mixed earlier into this dal.
8)Season with salt, tamarind water and mix well.
9)Add in jaggery powder into the sambar.
10)Pour more water to adjust the consistency. Mix everything well and bring it to a full boil. Cover and simmer for 5 mins.
11)Make tempering. Heat oil or ghee. Add whole spices and chillies, curry leaves. Cook for a minute.
12)Pour the tempering over the sambar and coriander leaves. Mix well and serve.
Expert Tips
- I like to use a mix of toor Dal and yellow moong dal. But you could use just toor Dal for making sambar. Don't over cook the dal.
- You could make the Sambar in bulk and store it in fridge for up to a week.
- Make sure you adjust the consistency of the Sambar by adding water because Sambar tends to thicken as it cools down.
- Addition of little ghee enhances the taste.
- Homemade sambar powder adds fresh tasting aroma than store bought. Check my homemade sambar powder recipe
- Be generous with the coriander leaves. it adds fresh aroma to the sambar.
FAQ
What is Tiffin sambar made of?
Tiffin sambar is made with basic onions, tomatoes, potatoes. Vegetables like carrots, drumstick can be added too. Sambar powder is added which is made fresh or store bought.
What is difference between Tiffin sambar and lunch sambar?
Tiffin sambar is pretty mild in taste which goes well with idli, dosa, pongal. Lunch sambar has extra bit of sambar powder or tamarind is added to make it more spicy and tangy which goes well with rice.
Why is Udupi sambar sweet?
Udupi sambar has a addition of coconut and jaggery which makes it little sweet.
How can I make my sambar thicker?
Adding potatoes while cooked the dal will make your sambar thicker.
📖 Get Recipe
Tiffin Sambar Recipe | Hotel Style Idli Sambar Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
To Pressure Cook Together
- ¼ cup Yellow Moong Dal
- ½ cup Toor Dal
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 large Potato peeled & halved
- 2½ cups Water
Mix Spices Together
- 2 tablespoon Sambar Powder
- 1 tablespoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Coriander powder
- ¼ cup Water
For Sambar
- 2 tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1 large Onion peeled and sliced
- 3 no Green chillies slit
- 2 large Tomatoes chopped
- 1 tablespoon Tamarind Pulp
- 1 tablespoon Jaggery
- 2 teaspoon Salt to taste
For Tempering
- 3 tablespoon Ghee or Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Split Black Urad Dal
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 no Dry Red Chillies broken into small pieces
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
For Garnishing
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves chopped finely
Instructions
- Take toor dal and moong dal in a bowl and wash really well. Add washed dal into the pressure cooker. Add in water, turmeric powder and potatoes. Pressure cook for 3 whistle. Take it off the heat and let the steam escape by itself. Open the cooker and set aside.
- Mix spice powders mentioned with some water to form a slurry. Set aside till needed.
- Heat oil in a deep pot. Add in onions, green chillies, tomatoes and saute for 2 mins. Add turmeric powder and mix well.
- Pour in the cooked dal along with potatoes. Pour more water as needed to form sambar.
- Now add in the spice mix paste, tamarind pulp, salt, jaggery and mix well. Pour more water to adjust the consistency. Mix everything well and bring it to a boil. Cover and simmer for 5 mins.
- Make tempering. Heat oil or ghee. Add whole spices, asafoetida, dry chillies, curry leaves. Cook for a minute Pour this over the sambar and mix well.
- Add in coriander leaves and mix well. Serve.
Video
Nutrition
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Anu
Sambhar looks yum that too without coconut for grinding ...
VineelaSiva
Sambar looks very nice.Last week we had a party one of my friend prepare same likr this.We really enjoy the sambar.I will try.So howz ur shopping going on.
Hema
Nice flavorful sambar with the fresh masala..
Anne
yummy yummy
Sushma Madhuchandra
sambar & idli are divine foods for me. Will try your version of hotel sambar sometime soon.
Saravanan
If am use sambar powder mam ,I am working Saudi Arabia Tamil restaurant thats y asking
Gayathri Anand
My Mom makes similar sambhar ...love to have it with hot hot idli ..
rajkumar
I tried this recipe. it comes well. Every one in my family like this idli sambhar and appreciate me. Thanks to aarthi.
rajkumar
I tried this recipe.
It comes well.
Hands-off to aarthi.
rajkumar
Really nice sambhar
Suba Shiva
Sambar looks really gud.. my suggestion is.. you can take a picture of sambar in a nice and gud looking bowl .. this one doesnt look impressive.. nice blog.. will keep visiting often..
cheers
suba
Prami Pramitha
really i was searching for this restuarant style sambar...thanks arathi...i will try this.
Nitya Caroline
One of the best recipies.. loved how the sambar turned out.. really good find... thanks again.
Anonymous
Aarthi you have roasted the spices and grinded them as sambar powder. But i have sambar powder . Can i use them instead of roasting and grinding again.
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can use normal sambar powder as well
Anonymous
Aarthi can you please make mambazha pulisseri recepie plz.. love your recepies
Aarthi
@Anonymoushere is the link
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2011/10/nadan-mambala-kulambu-ripe-mangoes.html
Anonymous
Hi Aarthy,
I tried this recipe with ven pongal today and my husband really love it. Thank you so much. Please give me a curry recipe with broccoli for chappati.
Anonymous
The sambar turned out to be amazing! Thanks for posting the recipe.
susi
veryyyy tastyyy sambar...i have tried it many times..never fail for me..tanQ 🙂
Anonymous
HiAarthi!
Can we make this sambar with toor dal?
Thanks in advance.
Aarthi
@Anonymousyes u can
Pallavi Vivek
Hi aarthi ,
Sumptuous Sambar. Looks itself very inviting. Just one doubt , have u dry roasted the masalas or roasted them with oil ?? Kindly Help.
Thank you
Anonymous
tried this sambar...tste very yummmyyyyyyyyyyy.........
Anonymous
Tried this today. Tasted good. Looked a bit dark for sambar though. because of the lack of turmeric powder I guess...nonetheless super yummy
Saranya
I tried this sambar it's really super,Thanks for giving such a wonderful Rreceipes
Ami
Superb recipe. I made this today and my 5year old couldnt have enough. I have tried many revipes from your blog and all were a hit. Thank you.
Lakshmi Madan
Dear Arthi... you are my saviour. I refer your blog for most of the recipes especially biryani and other non veg dishes... excellent recipes...
trying this sambhar recipe today... in ingredients list you have mentioned as malli powder instead of seeds. Please correct it. Without referring your pictorial images I roasted the corriander powder😬
Chinnu
Hi Aarthi, I often make this sambar and my husband loves it. I only have one concern, I felt the sambar lacks colour, I add a little of turmeric powder to it. What do u suggest?
Aarthi
You can add kashmiri chilli powder.