Sambar is a lentil-based vegetable stew/curry, cooked with lentils, vegetables and tamarind. It is very popular in South Indian and Sri Lankan cuisines. Sambar is one of the main sides with South Indian mains like dosa, idli, uttapam, etc. Everyone makes sambar their own way and this is how I love having it. I make it in the instant pot making it a one-pot, super easy recipe. This recipe may not be the most traditional but I promise it’s so yum! Since it is made in an instant pot you don’t need to boil the lentils separately. If you don’t have an instant pot check the notes on how you can make it. The sambar is tangy with a good balance of spice and flavors. You can use whatever vegetables you want to make this sambar.

Happy Cooking!

Servings: 8-9 servings

Prep Time: 15-20 mins

Cooking Time: 40-50 mins

Total Time Taken: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Toor dal (pigeon peas)

• About 20g tamarind soaked with 1.5 cups in hot water 

• 1 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil 

• 1/2-1 tsp cumin seeds 

• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds

• 1 medium red onion into slices 

• 1 -2 green chili cut in half

• 1-2 dried red chili 

• 8-10 larger Curry leaves or about 20 smaller leaves

• 2 cups of veggies of your choice- grated carrots, chopped green beans, eggplant cut in small pieces, drumsticks

• 3 -4 cloves of garlic minced or 1 tbsp garlic paste 

• 2-2.5 inch Ginger grated or 1.5 tbsp ginger paste 

• 2 Tomatoes cut into pieces  

• 1.5 Red chili powder

• 1/2 turmeric powder

• 1/2 tsp Hing powder (asafoetida)

• 1 tbsp Sambar masala 

• 1/2 tbsp podi masala

• 1-2 tsp salt as per taste

• 1 medium onion cut into cubes

• 1 1/2 cup water 

• 2-3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Directions:

1. In a bowl wash toor dal with water 3-4 times till the water the clear. Soak in clear water for 10-15 mins. Drain and keep aside.

2. Soak tamarind in hot water. Crush it once it softens to get the most flavor out.

3. Put the Instant pot on saute mode. Add oil and let it warm up.

4. Once warm, add cumin and mustard seeds and let them crackle.

5. Add sliced onions, dried red chili, green chili, and curry leaves and saute for 4-5 mins till the onions are translucent.

6. Add all the veggies you want to the pot.

7. Add garlic and ginger and mix well and saute for 2-3 mins.

8. Add chopped tomatoes and saute for 2-3 mins till they start breaking down.

9. Add spices- red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt, hing, sambar masala, and podi powder to the pot.

10. Add the washed and drained dal to the pot and saute it for 1-2 mins.

11. Add the cubed onions to the pot.

12. Drain the tamarind water into the pot. Crush and squeeze the tamarind through the sieve to get as much as flavor as you want.

13. Saute it for 1-3 mins.

14. Add water and give it a mix.

15. Put the lid on the pot and put it on the bean grain mode for 15 mins. Let it release pressure naturally.

16. Once the pressure is released open the lid and add chopped coriander and mix well.

17. Stir well for 2-3 mins to let all the flavors infuse and the dal to break up fully. It will thicken as it sits or you reheat it, add more water if needed.

18. Serve with idli, dosa or your favorite South Indian mains.

Notes/Tips:

• You can use all your favorite vegetables in the recipe.

• If you don’t have an instant pot

  • Use a pressure cooker to cook the sambar

  • Boil the lentils separately and then boil them on low with everything else for 5-10 mins to infuse flavors.

• Tamarind helps make it tangy and this quantity makes it quite tangy so use less if you want.

• I like to add podi powder for a deep flavor profile.

• Adding the onions in two different times with different chops gives different textures.