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    Sambar Recipe

    Last Updated On: Apr 8, 2025 by Aarthi

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    Sambar Recipe, a popular South Indian lentil and mixed vegetable soup made with spices, tamarind and coriander leaves. This family favorite sambar recipe gets so much compliments in our home when made with fresh homemade sambar powder. This delicious combination of dal, vegetables, spices which is filled with nutrients and can be served for your lunch/dinner or for your breakfast with Idli, Dosa, medu vada, rava khichdi and ven pongal. Learn how to make perfect ultimate sambar recipe with step by step pictures, video, tips and tricks and variations.

    sambar made with mixed vegetables, dal and spices

     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. 

    Table of Contents

    • About Sambar
    • Video for Authentic South Indian Sambar
    • Sambar Ingredients
    • How to Make Sambar Powder for Sambar
    • Which Vegetables used for Sambar
    • How to Make Sambar (Stepwise Pictures)
    • Instant Pot Sambar
    • Variations
    • Expert Tips
    • Serving Sambar
    • Sambar Varieties
    • 📖 Recipe Card
    • Sambar Recipe | Authentic South Indian Sambar Recipe

    About Sambar

    Sambar is a South Indian Lentil soup with vegetables, spices and tempering. Sambar is usually served with with idlies, dosa or rava pongal. This Sambar is considered one of the wholesome healthy dish that you can serve with rice or breakfast dishes, since it has dal, vegetables packed in a single dish.

    Can you believe that there are many variety of sambar recipes, like udupi sambar, kalyana sambar, arachuvitta sambar, drumstick sambar. My all time favorite sambar is vallarai keerai sambar. This recipe is a special sambar recipe which whole lots of veggies which goes well with rice.

    Sambar is made in few simple steps. It starts by cooking dal separately, saute vegetables with sambar powder, add dal along with seasonings like salt, jaggery and tamarind. You can add a final tempering of spices to the sambar for aroma and be generous with the coriander leaves.

    Video for Authentic South Indian Sambar

    YouTube video
    close shot of south indian sambar made with mixed vegetables, dal and spices

    Sambar Ingredients

    Dal - Sambar can be made with toor dal or moong dal. Some people like to combine toor and moong dal for making delicious sambar.

    Onions & Tomato - this adds taste to the sambar. You can use onions or peeled shallots.

    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. 

    Tamarind - add some tamarind paste or extract to balance the taste.

    Seasoning - sambar has salt and a pinch of jaggery to balance the taste.

    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. 

    Coriander leaves - a handful of fresh coriander leaves adds final touch to the sambar.

    How to Make Sambar Powder for Sambar

    homemade fresh sambar powder

    Each and ever household has their own secret recipe for sambar powder. There are many brands of perfectly decent sambar powder available in the market. But making fresh batch of homemade sambar powder is the key for achieving best tasting sambar.

    Sambar powder usually has whole spices, dals and lentils which are roasted separately and ground into a fine powder. I have shared a separate step by step sambar powder recipe for making sambar powder. If you don't have much time on hand you can make my Instant sambar powder which you can use to make sambar without dal.

    • Dry Red Chilli - 3 cup packed
    • Whole Coriander Seeds / Mullu Malli - 1.5 cup
    • Mustard Seeds / Kaduku - 1 tbsp
    • Fengreek Seeds / Methi / Vendayam - 2 tsp
    • Cumin Seeds / Jeerakam - 2 tbsp
    • Toor dal / Tuvaram Paruppu - 3 tbsp
    • Channa dal / Kadalai Paruppu - 3 tbsp
    • Urad dal / Ulundu Paruppu - 3 tbsp
    • Whole Pepper - 2 tbsp
    • Turmeric Powder / Manjal Podi - 2 tbsp
    • Asafoetida / Hing / Kaya podi - 1 tsp

    Which Vegetables used for Sambar

    ingredients for making sambar

    Traditional Sambar is made with variety of mixed vegetables like shown here. But there are many variations that uses single vegetables like my pumpkin sambar, carrot sambar, potato sambar. Some of the most popular sambar varieties are tiffin sambar and my udupi sambar.

    This recipe for sambar is made with mixed vegetables like pumpkin, potato, cucumber, carrots, raw mango, beans and brinjal. You can add whatever vegetables you have or prefer.

    These vegetables not only adds taste and texture to the sambar but adds so much nutrients to it.

    ladleful of hot sambar
    south indian sambar recipe

    How to Make Sambar (Stepwise Pictures)

    Cooking Dal

    1)For making sambar, you have to start by cooking dal. I used toor dal in this recipe. But you can use half toor dal and half yellow moong dal. Wash toor dal in several changes of water. Take washed dal in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Add some turmeric powder and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistle. Let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker and mash the dal slightly using back of a spoon and set aside.

    how to cook toor dal in pressure cooker

    Sauteing vegetables

    2)Heat ghee or oil in a pot. Add in chopped onions, tomatoes and slit green chillies. You can add peeled whole shallots of taste and texture. Saute the onions and tomatoes for 2 minutes.

    heat oil and add in onion, tomatoes and green chillies

    Add in Vegetables

    3)Add in your chopped mixed vegetables. In this recipe for sambar I used pumpkin, potato, cucumber, carrots, raw mango, beans and brinjal. You can add whatever vegetables you have or prefer.

    add mixed vegetables to onions

    4)Saute the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes till the raw smell leaves from it.

    saute vegetables in oil

    Cooking Vegetables

    5)Cover the vegetables with water. You can add some salt to the vegetables. Bring it to a boil.

    cover veggies with water and cook

    6)Cover the pot with lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes till vegetables are almost cooked.

    cover and cook till vegetables is cooked

    7)Now you can see the vegetables are cooked completely.

    now veggies are cooked

    Adding Cooked Dal

    8)Once vegetables are cooked, add in the cooked toor dal.

    add cooked toor dal

    9)Add in the fresh sambar powder.

    add in sambar powder

    10)Taste and adjust with salt, jaggery and tamarind pulp.

    add salt and jaggery

    11)Mix everything well and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes till the raw smell leaves from tamarind.

    mix well

    Tempering Sambar

    12) For tempering sambar, heat ghee or oil. Add in mustard seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for few seconds. Add in broken dry red chillies and mix well.

    make tempering, heat oil in a pan, add tempering ingredients

    13)Add a dash of asafoetida and curry leaves in hot oil and mix well.

    add in asafoetida and curry leaves

    14)Pour the tempered spices into the sambar and mix well.

    pour tempering over sambar

    15)This tempering adds so much flavour to the sambar.

    mix well

    Sambar Garnish

    16)Add lots of finely chopped coriander leaves into the sambar and mix well. This coriander leaves adds so much aroma to the sambar.

    add coriander leaves

    17)Mix coriander leaves into the sambar. Thats it sambar is ready.

    mix well

    18)Serve sambar with idli, dosa, pongal, khichdi or rice.

    serve sambar hot in a bowl

    Instant Pot Sambar

    sambar made 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.

    How to Make Sambar in Instant Pot

    1)Set instant pot to saute mode on high heat.

    set instant pot to saute mode

    2)Add oil, add mustard, urad dal, asafoetida and cumin seeds.

    add oil and tempering ingredients

    3)Now add in all veggies and stir fry for 2 mins.

    add in all the vegetables

    4)Add in sambar powder and mix well.

    add sambar powder

    5)Add in toor dal.

    add toor dal

    6)Add salt, sugar, tamarind, dal and water.

    cover with water

    7)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.

    cover with lid and cook

    8)Open the lid and add coriander leaves. Mix well and serve.

    sambar made in instant pot is ready to serve

    Variations

    Sambar is a staple dish in our house. We make it at least twice a week. There are so many variations you can make in sambar. I have literally sambar using every vegetables and blogged about it. Here are some of my sambar recipes available on this blog.

    Tiffin Sambar - This is our go to sambar recipe which we usually serve with tiffin items like idli, dosa or pongal.

    Pumpkin Sambar - when pumpkin is in season this is how you can use it in sambar. Pumpkin adds sweetness which taste amazing in a sambar.

    Drumstick Sambar - one of my all time favorite sambar. In restaurants and hotels murungaikkai is a must add vegetable when making sambar.

    Potato Sambar - simple yet so satisfying.

    Vengaya Sambar - peeled whole shallots is used which adds so much sweetness, specially when served with kal dosa.

    Vendaikkai Sambar - This is quite unusual to use ladies finger in sambar but amma adds it so do I.

    Radish Sambar - radish has its own unique flavour and aroma which it adds when made into this dish.

    Milagai Killi Potta Sambar - lots of dry red. chillies is used which adds a smoky aroma which goes well with tiffin items.

    Thakkali Sambar - our go to dish when tomatoes are in season.

    Sambar without Dal - if you don't have time on hand, then here is a recipe of sambar made without dal. You can even make my instant sambar powder which can be made into sambar without dal.

    Coconut Sambar - it is quite unusual to add coconut in sambar but the taste is amazing.

    Raw Mango Sambar - raw mangoes not only adds tanginess but taste amazing.

    Udupi Sambar - one of the most popular sambar recipe in and around karnataka.

    Keerai Sambar - healthy and easy way to include spinach in your diet.

    Expert Tips

    • You can cook dal ahead of time and store in fridge and use as needed.
    • Instead of using toor dal, you can use moong dal or half toor and half moong dal. 
    • Instead of homemade sambar powder you can use store bought sambar powder.
    • Any vegetables can be used in making sambar.
    • You can use whole peeled shallots of making sambar.

    Serving Sambar

    Sambar is usually served for lunch / dinner or for your breakfast with Idli, Dosa, medu vada, rava khichdi and ven pongal. It is commonly served with steamed rice. But you can try these variations of recipes.

    Mini Idli Sambar

    Sambar Rice

    Sambar Powder Potato Fry

    Millet Sambar Sadham

    Sambar Varieties

    • Homemade Sambar Powder Recipe
    • Instant Sambar Powder Recipe
    • Tiffin Sambar Recipe
    • Mini Idli Sambar Recipe
    • Sambar Rice Recipe
    • Bisibelabath Recipe
    • Pumpkin Sambar Recipe
    • Drumstick Sambar Recipe
    • Potato Sambar Recipe

    📖 Recipe Card

    Sambar Recipe | Authentic South Indian Sambar Recipe

    Sambar Recipe, a popular South Indian lentil and mixed vegetable soup made with spices, tamarind and coriander leaves. This family favorite sambar recipe gets so much compliments in our home when made with fresh homemade sambar powder. This delicious combination of dal, vegetables, spices which is filled with nutrients and can be served for your lunch/dinner or for your breakfast with Idli, Dosa, medu vada, rava khichdi and ven pongal. Learn how to make perfect ultimate sambar recipe with step by step pictures, video, tips and tricks and variations.
    4.67 from 9 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 246kcal

    Equipment

    • Pressure cooker
    • Cooking pot

    Ingredients

    • 1 tbsp Oil or Ghee
    • 1 large Onion peeled and chopped roughly
    • 10 no Shallots (Sambar Onion) peeled and left whole (optional)
    • 2 no Tomato chopped
    • 2 slit Green Chilli
    • 3 tbsp Sambar Powder Homemade or Store Bought
    • Salt to taste
    • 2 tsp Jaggery
    • 2 tbsp Tamarind pulp
    • ½ cup Coriander Leaves finely chopped

    For Cooking Dal

    • 1 cup Toor Dal
    • 1 tsp Turmeric powder
    • 3 cups Water

    Mixed Vegetables to Use

    • 1 no Potato peeled and chopped
    • 1 no Brinjal chopped
    • 1 large Carrot chopped
    • 1 cup Cucumber peeled and chopped
    • 6 no Beans chopped
    • 2 no Ladysfinger chopped
    • 1 Raw Banana / Plantain peeled and chopped
    • 1 cup Raw Mango peeled and chopped
    • 1 cup Pumpkin peeled and chopped

    For Tempering

    • 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
    • 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
    • 1 tsp Urad Dal
    • 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
    • 2 no Dry Red Chilli
    • ½ tsp Asafoetida
    • 2 sprig Curry Leaves

    Instructions

    • For making sambar, you have to start by cooking dal. I used toor dal in this recipe. But you can use half toor dal and half yellow moong dal. Wash toor dal in several changes of water. Take washed dal in a pressure cooker and cover with water. Add some turmeric powder and pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistle. Let the pressure release by itself. Open the cooker and mash the dal slightly using back of a spoon and set aside.
    • Heat ghee or oil in a pot. Add in chopped onions, tomatoes and slit green chillies. You can add peeled whole shallots of taste and texture. Saute the onions and tomatoes for 2 minutes. Add in your chopped mixed vegetables. In this recipe for sambar I used pumpkin, potato, cucumber, carrots, raw mango, beans and brinjal. You can add whatever vegetables you have or prefer. Saute the vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes till the raw smell leaves from it.
    • Cover the vegetables with water. You can add some salt to the vegetables. Bring it to a boil. Cover the pot with lid and cook on medium heat for 10 minutes till vegetables are almost cooked. Once vegetables are cooked, add in the cooked toor dal. Add in sambar powder, tamarind pulp, salt and jaggery and mix well. Simmer this whole thing for 10 minutes.
    • For tempering sambar, heat ghee or oil. Add in mustard seeds, urad dal and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for few seconds. Add in broken dry red chillies and mix well. Add a dash of asafoetida and curry leaves in hot oil and mix well. Pour this into the sambar and mix.
    • Add lots of finely chopped coriander leaves into the sambar and mix well. This coriander leaves adds so much aroma to the sambar. Serve sambar with idli, dosa or rice.

    Video

    YouTube video

    Notes

    • You can cook dal ahead of time and store in fridge and use as needed.
    • Instead of using toor dal, you can use moong dal or half toor and half moong dal. 
    • Instead of homemade sambar powder you can use store bought sambar powder.
    • Any vegetables can be used in making sambar.
    • You can use whole peeled shallots of making sambar.

    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

    Serving: 1servings | Calories: 246kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 44mg | Potassium: 437mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 4432IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 54mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @yummytummyaarthi or tag #yummytummyaarthi!
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    Aarthi

    About Aarthi

    Over the past few years I’ve been on a mission to find and create recipes that I can make from scratch. I hope you enjoy the recipes on this blog as they are tried and true from my kitchen to yours!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. chetna.l

      at

      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???

      Reply
    2. Aarthi

      at

      @chetna.lu can use store bought or check my recipe
      https://www.yummytummyaarthi.com/2014/01/homemade-sambar-powder-sambar-powder.html

      Reply
    3. priya saravana

      at

      Tried this sambar today...it was so yummy...my hubby loves it so much...thanks aarthi 🙂

      Reply
    4. Amita Choudhary

      at

      if we dont have jaggery than what we use???

      Reply
    5. Aarthi

      at

      @Amita Choudharyuse little sugar

      Reply
    6. Sangeetha

      at

      Hi aarthi, no need to add tamrind pulp?

      Reply
    7. Aarthi

      at

      @Sangeethathe raw mango which i added made it sour. you can taste it and add tamarind if it needs

      Reply
    8. gorantala

      at

      @ 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.

      Reply
    9. Anonymous

      at

      Sounds like Nagercoil style sambhar. Very tasty. Thanks for sharing .

      Reply
    10. Gul

      at

      The best sambhar ever! You are a genius Aarthi! Thank you so much for helping me SO much. Sending a big hug your way!

      Reply
    11. Unknown

      at

      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.

      Reply
    12. sasi

      at

      Tried this sambar today...it was so yummy...my hubby loves it so much...thanks

      Reply
    4.67 from 9 votes (9 ratings without comment)

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