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South Indian Sambar Recipe (made with Moong Dal)

South Indian Sambar Recipe (made with Moong Dal)

I haven’t seen anyone who doesn’t enjoy a nice, warm, and flavourful bowl of sambar. It is pleasantly spicy and sour and feels so comforting, especially with some warm steamed rice. And I feel that it is the perfect recipe to include some protein-rich lentils (dal) and nutritious veggies in your diet. Everything is mixed together and makes this gem of a recipe. Also, it is one of the best recipes to finish the veggies that are lying in your refrigerator. Pair it with some steamed rice, idli, vada, or masala dosa for a delightful meal.

For more dinner recipes, you must check out – Dalia Pulao, Vegan Pad Thai Noodles, and Chickpea Pulao.

Story Time

One thing I can say very proudly is that I make tasty sambar and I can prove it with plenty of my sambar stories.

I have a friend and once she came over to our home for dinner. I decided to make idli, sambar, and chutney for her. When we were serving, she said that she doesn’t like sambar and only eats idlis with chutney. Then we started eating. After a while, she took the second serving of sambar and told us that she never had a second serving of sambar, ever. Even she was surprised by that. She also said that generally finishing just one bowl of sambar becomes a task for her. I was happy that she enjoyed the sambar which I made for her.

Also, once my in-laws including my grandmother-in-law visited us in Pune. I made the same menu for them – idli, sambar, and chutney. And Jatin’s grandmother hardly appreciates anyone’s food. But she loved my idli sambar. We all were so happy and she even claimed that I cook good food. It was a big thing for all of us 😀 She even said that to other relatives in the family. Yay.

So, now you know that my sambar is something to try. C’mon. Try it today.

If you are in a hurry, watch the video instead and If you enjoy watching it, Plz Subscribe to our Youtube channel.

What is sambar?

Sambar is a popular South Indian vegetarian (or vegan) recipe that is made with Toor dal (Arhar dal) and a mix of different veggies like bottle gourd (lauki), eggplant, drumstick, tomato, onion, etc. It is then tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chili, and sambar masala. One special ingredient that is added to it is tamarind paste. It adds a nice sour flavor to this recipe and makes it tastier.

It is often served with steamed rice, idli, dosa, vada, etc.

How to store sambar?

You can store sambar in an air-tight container and refrigerate it. Consume it within 2 days.

You can even freeze it for up to a month. Do not add coriander leaves. While serving, heat it well and then garnish it with some fresh coriander leaves. Although, I never tried freezing it since I prefer to make it fresh.

oats idli

How to serve sambar?

Sambar is a cooked dal recipe with some veggies and tempering in it. It can be served with the following:

  1. Steamed Rice
  2. Idli
  3. Dosa
  4. Vada
  5. Idiyappam
  6. Lemon Rice
  7. Appe
  8. Uttapam

Is this recipe vegan?

Yes. Of course. All the ingredients used in this recipe are vegan and plant-based.

More Indian vegan recipes to try – Misal Pav, Seviyan, Vegan Dum Biryani.

Easy Swaps

  1. Moong Dal: I mostly make this recipe using moong dal but you can even use Toor dal or dhuli masoor dal (orange dal) for this recipe.
  2. Tamarind Paste: The sourness of tamarind is different from the sourness that you get from amchoor powder (dry mango powder) or lemon juice. But it is all up to you. You can replace tamarind paste with lemon juice or amchoor powder.
  3. Veggies: Use any vegetable that you have in your kitchen.

More South Indian recipes to try

  1. Raw Mango Rasam Rice
  2. Masala dosa
  3. Tawa Idli

Now we are all ready to make this deliciously simple and comforting meal – Sambar. It is a nourishing bowl of happiness. Make it over lunch or for a delightful brunch. Make a little extra so that you can have it the other day too.

If you like the recipe, please share the photo of your dish on Instagram and tag us too @thefearlesscooking. We love to see your recreation of our recipes.

Happy Cooking 🙂

Love from us

Richa & Jatin

South Indian Sambar Recipe (made with Moong Dal)

Nourishing. Comforting. Delicious.

Even if you don't like sambar, try this recipe. I am sure that it will change your mind. (Based on true incidents)

& if you are a fan of sambar, try my version of this classic recipe. You will fall in love all over again :)

4

Servings

15 min

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

50 min

Total Time


Ingredients

Cooked Dal

Tempering

Steps

Prepare Dal
  1. In an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker), add the ingredients of dal and pressure cook for around 10 minutes. Let it depressurize itself. If you are using a pressure cooker, cook for 2 whistles. 
  2. Soak moong dal for 15-20 minutes and then wash 2-3 times with water. If using Toor Dal, soak for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Once dal is ready, keep it aside. 
Tempering
  1. Heat some oil in a large deep pan.
  2. Once the oil is heated, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them sizzle for a few seconds. Keep the flame on medium-low. 
  3. Then add curry leaves, dry red chili, and asafoetida. Saute for a couple of seconds. Lower the flame if it burns. 
  4. Add the cooked dal, 3 cups of water, tamarind paste, amchoor powder, and sambar masala. Mix everything well. Taste and adjust the salt here. 
  5. Adding a lot of tamarind pulp may darken the sambar. That is why I added a mix of tamarind pulp and amchoor powder.
  6. Cover and cook for 20 minutes on medium-low flame. Keep stirring in between.
  7. Cook till there is no frothy layer on top.
  8. Then add peas. Mix and cook for another 5 minutes. Switch off the flame and garnish with some chopped coriander. Serve hot with some rice, idli, or dosa. Enjoy your happy meal :)
  9. Frozen peas don't need much cooking. Adding it at the end retains its color.

FAQs

What is sambar?
+
Sambar is a popular South Indian vegetarian (or vegan) recipe that is made with Toor dal (Arhar dal) and a mix of different veggies like bottle gourd (lauki), eggplant, drumstick, tomato, onion, etc. It is then tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chili, and sambar masala. One special ingredient that is added to it is tamarind paste. It adds a nice sour flavor to this recipe and makes it tastier. It is often served with steamed rice, idli, dosa, vada, etc.

What do you eat with sambar?
+
Sambar is a cooked dal recipe with some veggies and tempering in it. It can be served with the following:
  1. Steamed Rice
  2. Idli
  3. Dosa
  4. Vada
  5. Idiyappam
  6. Lemon Rice
  7. Appe
  8. Uttapam

Which dal is used to make sambar?
+

Sambar is generally made with Toor dal (Arhar dal). But you can also make it with yellow moong dal or masoor dhuli dal (orange dal). It tastes amazing.


What are some popular South Indian Recipes to try?
+

Everybody loves South Indian food because of its simplicity and the burst of different flavors. You must try the following South Indian recipes:

  1. Idli
  2. Masala Dosa
  3. Appam
  4. Lemon Rice
  5. Rasam Rice
  6. Sambar
  7. Appe
  8. Idiyappam
  9. Vada Sambar
  10. Uttapam

Is sambar and rasam same?
+

Sambar and rasam both are unique in their own way. Sambar is made with dal and a lot of vegetables which gives it is thick curry-like texture. It is creamy because of mashed-up dal and vegetables. On the other hand, rasam is very watery and thin in consistency (just like broth or stock) which makes it much lighter to eat. Rasam may or may not contain any dal in it. It is often consumed as a soup. Both are served with rice, idli, dosa, vada, etc.

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