Kerala Recipes

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Kerala Sambar

Kerala Sambar is different from the typical Sambars made in the other South Indian states. Kerala Sambar is made using a mixture of different vegetables whereas the other sambhar is made using a single vegetable.

Mixed vegetable Sambar

Kerala Sambar

The vegetables mostly added to Sambar are the following :-

* Potato
* Plantain (Vazhakka)
* Yam (Chenna)
* Carrot
* Drum Sticks (Muringakka)
* Okra/Lady’s Finger (Vendakka)
* Beans
* Sambar Cucumber (Velarikka)
* Ash Gourd (Kumbalanga)
* Ivy Gourd (Kovakka)
* Tomato
* Pumpkin (Mathanga)
* Brinjal (Vazhuthananga)

Kerala Sambar

Mixed vegetable Sambar

You can make your Sambar with whatever vegetable you can grab from the above list. Here is my recipe for making Sambar.

Ingredients

  1. Mixed Vegetables cut into medium sized pieces – 3-4 cups
    (I’ve used 1 potato,1 carrot, 2 drumsticks, 1/2 plantain, 1 tomato , 5 beans and a few pieces of brinjal)
  2. Sambar Parippu / Tuvara Parippu (Sambar/Toor Dal) – 1/2 cup
  3. Sliced Onion – 1 medium
  4. Green chillies slit – 2
  5. Garlic Cloves – 4 or 5
  6. Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
  7. Tamarind – gooseberry sized ball
  8. Chopped coriander leaves – 2 tsp
  9. Red Chilly powder – 1 tsp
  10. Coriander Powder – 2 tsp
  11. Sambar Powder – 3 tsp
  12. Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tsp
  13. Red Chillies – 3
  14. Curry Leaves – A sprig
  15. Shallots or Pearl Onions (diced) – 1/4 cup
  16. Asafoetida (Kayam) – A pinch
  17. Oil – 3 tbsp
  18. Water – As needed
  19. Salt – As needed

Method

  1. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pressure cooker and saute the sliced onions, garlic and green chillies for 2 minutes.
  2. Next add the diced vegetables and dal along with salt and 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and cover the pan and pressure cook on medium flame up to 2 whistles. (For pressure cooking, add enough water so as to cover the vegetables)
  3. Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water for sometime, squeeze and take the extract from it. Keep aside.
  4. When the dal and vegetables are done, remove the lid of the pressure cooker and add in the tamarind juice. Stir and simmer on low flame for some more time and add more salt if needed.
  5. Add chopped coriander leaves and and sprinkle asafoetida powder and simmer for 2 more minutes. Remove from flame and keep aside.
  6. Heat oil in a wok and allow mustard seeds to splutter.
  7. Add shallots, red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
  8. Mix in the sambar powder, coriander powder and chilly powder and fry for 2 minutes on low flame.
  9. Now pour the sambar to the wok and mix well for a few minutes. Remove from flame and keep aside.
Kerala Sambar

Kerala Mixed Vegetable Sambar

Sambar Masala

It is a mixture of the following:-

Red chilly powder, Coriander Powder, Cumin powder, Turmeric powder, Fenugreek powder

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Related posts:

  1. Mixed Vegetable Theeyal
  2. Sambar Sadham (Rice cooked with Lentils and Vegetables)
  3. Vegetable Masala Curry
  4. Kerala Beef Fry (Erachi Ulathiyathu)

Comments

  1. I am definitely going to try this as i am very disappointed with my sambar taste. Al the other recipes get raving remarks except for sambar :(. The gravy pic gives me a feeling this time it is going to be right..thx

  2. hello
    wat time we shud addd the kayam?i think u missed it
    sikhil

    Hi,
    I have already mentioned about adding Kayam(asafoetida powder) in Step No.5 . Hope this helps.
    Thanks
    Admin

  4. Hi ..

    We have tried above recipe and it came very good ..

    thanks for your good recipe ..

    🙂 Arun

  5. I am staying with my friends out in mysore. We are doing preparations on our own! I found recipes in other sites very complicated! We are going to try it tomorrow!
    Thanks a lot:)

  8. Hi…
    The sambar tastes nice. When I prepared sambar the first time, it was a flop but today I am very confidently serving sambar to my husband..thank u very much …

  9. Great taste Jisha chechi. 🙂 I got the taste of Sambar right for the first time. Tried your sambar and black pomfret fry 🙂 Yummy after long time. Thanks again.

  10. I like all ur yummy recipes. thank u & especially for onam sadhya. plz add traditional sambar powder ingredients and don’t miss to add more recipes.
    Thanx

  11. Tried it out n loved it!! Coming from a north indian family, no one was ever able to make good sambhars, but thanks to u, I cud do it 🙂 Hats off to the chef!

  12. Chechi I cannot thank you enough for sharing this recipe, every time I make the sambhar it comes out perfect! hats off!! 🙂

  13. I know this method only with a slight difference where I cook dhal separately and the remaining procedure same as you say but I need a taste as was done by a friend (namboothiri) from palakkad in 1969.

  14. Incredible …. without using Coconut was unbelievable to me..Thank you for providing information to avoid cholesterol level for future…

  16. Hi.. I am a beginner in the world of cooking and today I made my first ever sambhar exactly as per ur recipe. It came out very well ..and I was very proud and happy to serve it to my husband.. Even more so when he asked for a second helping.. Thank you sooo much..!!

  17. Amazing recipe my husband loved it
    Thank you so much for sharing such a recipe
    Keep sharing it

  18. Authentic kerala sambar does not have any garlic. If you skin that one ingredient, your sambar will taste just as good.

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