Sambar / Sambhar

Sambar or sambhar or Sambaaru or kuzhambu (Tamil: சாம்பார்,குழம்பு); Konkani: सांबारें, रोस, ಕೊಳಮ್ಬೋ (pronounced 'koLmbo');Kannada: ಸಾಂಬಾರು, ಸಾರು; Malayalam: സാമ്പാര്‍; Telugu: సాంబారు) is a dish in South India and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines, made ofpigeon pea. A variant of Sambar called Pappuchaaru (Telugu: పప్పుచారు) is more common in Andhra Pradesh.

Sambar is a vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind and pigeon peas, and is very popular in the cooking of southern regions of India especially in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Each state in South India prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.

Sambar / Sambhar

The origins of this dish is uncertain though legends has it that it originated in the kitchen of Thanjavur Marathas ruler Shahuji, during the 18th century from the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is believed that Shahji had a liking for a dish called amti which had kokum as one of its main ingredients. In one particular season, the kokum which was imported from the Maratha homeland ran out of supply and someone suggested to him that the locals used tamarind pulp for sourness. Shahji experimented the dish with the pigeon peas, vegetables, spices and the tamarind pulp served his coterie and his cousin, Sambhaji who was visiting him. The court liked the dish and named it sambhar after the guest of the day, Sambhaji.

Ingredients

• 150 gms of Thoram parappu (Toor dhall)
• 3 Spoons of Sambar powder (Please refer to my sambar powder recipe)
• 100 gms of sambar venkayam (small onions)
• 2 springs of curry leaves
• 4 Green chillies sliced into half
• 1 spoon of Perangayam(Hing)
• 3 medium sized Sambar Tomatoes diced in 1/2 inch pieces
• Oil for tampering
• 1/2 spoon of mustard seeds
• 1/2 spoon of Fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 spoon of broken Dhaniya seeds
• 1/2 spoon of Perangayam for tampering
• 3 broken dry chillies
• one spoon chilli powder
• 1/2 spoon of Turmeric powder
• 1 lemon sized ball of Tamarind (add water and extract thick juice)
• 1 fairly large onion to be grilled on fire till outer cover is black and make paste of it in a mixi
• 2 tea spoons of freshly made paste of Coconut
• 1/2 cup of Kothumalli

Method

• Cook the dall after adding one small spoon of Perangayam (hing) very well.
• Keep it aside in the cooker for thirty minutes.
• Now churn the dhal till the froth and keep it aside.
• Take the baby onions and saute in oil for about three to four minutes.Take care that you don't cook the onions .
• There is another variation of adding the raw baby onions in the dal and let it get cooked in dal itself.I have found the second variation better for sambar taste.
• Now add extract of Tamarind to dal along with salt .Boil the dal till the raw smell of Tamrind goes off.
• Now add semi cooked baby sambar onions and springs of curry leaves and sliced green chillies.Let it boil for about two to three minutes.
• Now add three spoons of Sambar powder,one spoon of chilli powder and diced tomatoes and turmeric powder.
• Let the whole thing simmer for about six minutes.
• Take down the half cooked sambar and keep it aside.
• Take the grilled onion, remove the burnt outer cover and make a paste of the onion in a mixi .
• Add the paste of coconut and onion now to sambar and slowly heat it on medium flame til it boils for about three to four minutes.
• Tamper with mustard, chillies,fenugreek(vendiyum) seeds,broken dhaniya seeds and Perangayam.
• Garnish with finely chopped kothumalli and set aside.