Sambar Recipe with step by step pictures. Delicious combination of Dal and Vegetables which is filled with nutrients and can be served for your lunch/dinner or for your breakfast with Idli/ Dosa.
Sambar Recipe
Sambar plays an important role in any south indian menu. We make different types and different version of them suiting of the main dish which we have with it. And this sambar is made with a whole lot of veggies as well.
About Sambar Recipe
My all time favorite sambar is potato sambar, vallarai keerai sambar..You can check out all my other sambar recipes right here.
I have a separate sambar recipe to go with all my tiffin recipes..That sambar goes well with idlies, dosa or pongal. But this recipe is a special sambar recipe which whole lots of veggies which goes well with rice.
Can you believe that there are many variety of sambar recipes, like udupi sambar, kalyana sambar, arachuvitta sambar, drumstick sambar and so on.
Video for Authentic South Indian Sambar Recipe
Ingredients for Sambar Recipe
Dal
Sambar can be made with toor dal or moong dal. Some people like to combine toor and moong dal for making delicious sambar.
Vegetables
Mixed vegetables like cucumber, carrots, potatoes, pumpkin, drumsticks are used in sambar.
Sambar Powder
You can use store bought sambar powder or homemade sambar powder as you prefer.
Tempering
Tempering spices like mustard, cumin seeds, dry red chillies, asafoetida and curry leaves in hot oil or ghee. This gives the final touch to your sambar.
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📖 Recipe
Sambar Recipe | Authentic South Indian Sambar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 large Onion peeled and chopped roughly
- 2 Tomato chopped
- 2 slit Green Chilli
- 1 Brinjal chopped
- 2 Carrot chopped
- 6 Beans chopped
- 1 cup Cucumber peeled and chopped
- 4 Ladysfinger chopped
- 1 Potato peeled and chopped
- 1 cup Raw Mango peeled and chopped
- 1 Raw Banana / Plantain peeled and chopped
- 1 cup Toor Dal cooked
- 3 tbsp Sambar Powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 tsp Jaggery
- Coriander Leaves a small handful finely chopped
- Water as needed
- For Tempering:
- 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Urad Dal
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 Dry Red Chilli
- ½ tsp Asafoetida
- Curry Leaves a sprig
Instructions
- Heat oil and add in onion, chilli and tomato. Saute it for 2 mins.
- Add in all vegetables and saute it for 8 to 10 mins.
- Add in water, Cover it cook for 10 to 15 mins till the veggies is cooked.
- Now add in cooked dal, sambar powder, salt and jaggery and mix well. Simmer this whole thing for 15 to 20 mins.
- Now make tempering by heating oil and crackling all whole spices. Fry this for a min. Pour this over the sambar and mix well.
- Add in coriander leaves and mix. Leave the pan covered till serving.
- Serve.
Video
Notes
How to Make Instant Pot Sambar
- Set instant pot to saute mode on high heat.
- Add oil, add mustard, urad dal, asafoetida and cumin seeds.
- Now add in all veggies and stir fry for 2 mins.
- Add in spice powders and mix well.
- Add salt, sugar, tamarind, dal and water.
- Now change the mode to pressure cook in instant pot. Set temp to 15 mins on high pressure.
- Leave the pressure to release on its own.
- Open the lid and add coriander leaves.
- Mix well and serve.
Nutrition
Sambar Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
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How to Make Sambar in Instant Pot
Sambar is a staple food for south indian. We make it almost twice or thrice a week. It can be served with tiffin recipes or rice. This particular recipe is super easy to make and can be made in less than 20 mins in an instant pot. This sambar taste amazing with rice or tiffins too. This is similar to a one pot recipe and the whole recipe is made in one pot.

Ingredients for Instant Pot Sambar
- Onion - 1 chopped
- Tomato - 2 chopped
- Mixed Vegetables 3 cups (Carrot, radish, ladies finger, potato)
- Sambar Powder - 2 tblsp
- Salt to taste
- Sugar - 1 tsp
- Tamarind Pulp - 2 tblsp
- Toor Dal - 1 cup
- Water - 4 cups
- Coriander Leaves a handful chopped
For Tempering
- Oil - 1 tblsp
- Mustard Seeds - 1tsp
- Urad Dal - 1 tsp
- Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
- Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya podi a pinch
How to Make Instant Pot Sambar
- Set instant pot to saute mode on high heat.
- Add oil, add mustard, urad dal, asafoetida and cumin seeds.
- Now add in all veggies and stir fry for 2 mins.
- Add in sambar powder and mix well.
- Add salt, sugar, tamarind, dal and water.
- Now change the mode to pressure cook in instant pot. Set temp to 15 mins on high pressure.
- Leave the pressure to release on its own.
- Open the lid and add coriander leaves.
- Mix well and serve.
Instant Pot Sambar Recipe (Step Wise Pictures)
1) Heat instant pot to saute mode on high

2)Add seasoning ingredients and saute

3)Add veggies and saute.

4)Add sambar powder and mix.

5)in goes dal

6)add water.

7)Set the instant pot to pressure cook mode and cook on high pressure for 15 mins.

9)add coriander leaves and serve

chetna.l
Hello Aarthi... I love reading your blog and have tried a few receipies and they have turned out beautiful...
For this reciepe the sambhar masala is the one available in markets??? Or is there some special way to make it???
Aarthi
@chetna.lu can use store bought or check my recipe
https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2014/01/homemade-sambar-powder-sambar-powder.html
priya saravana
Tried this sambar today...it was so yummy...my hubby loves it so much...thanks aarthi 🙂
Amita Choudhary
if we dont have jaggery than what we use???
Aarthi
@Amita Choudharyuse little sugar
Sangeetha
Hi aarthi, no need to add tamrind pulp?
Aarthi
@Sangeethathe raw mango which i added made it sour. you can taste it and add tamarind if it needs
gorantala
@ Sangeetha either one will do, but tamarind is available round the year so go for it, but when Mango season comes try with Raw mango it gives a distinct punch to your taste buds.
@Aarthi your energy level is gr8, I c regular recipes floating on nearly daily basis. Keep going u rock.
Anonymous
Sounds like Nagercoil style sambhar. Very tasty. Thanks for sharing .
Gul
The best sambhar ever! You are a genius Aarthi! Thank you so much for helping me SO much. Sending a big hug your way!
Unknown
Great blog Aarthi! I have just made sambhar masala using your recipe. Going to try this sambhar now. Minus the bhindi, plantain and raw mango as i can not get them here in scotland 🙁 i studied with a konkani girl at uni and her mum used to make a narriyal chatni which was dark brown but i cant find a recipe for it. Would you happen to have a recipe for it?it would be much appreciated if you do.