FROM THE KITCHENS OF INDIAN, Types of Indian Sambar

Kerala Sambar

• To Make Sambar Masala
• On a skillet, tava or a shallow frying pan, heat 2 or 3 tsp coconut oil. Add all the shallots and fry till they become translucent. Add the rest of the spice and fry till they are light brown.
• Now add the grated coconut and roast it with the spices until everything is browned and you get a fragrant aroma in your kitchen. Let this mixture cool.
• Once cooled, grind this roasted spice mixture in the grinder with some water. 
• To Make The Kerala Sambar
• First, boil the tuvar dal in a pressure cooker with the sliced or chopped onion and hing until the dal is soft and well cooked. Mash the cooked dal slightly with a spoon when done.
• Cook the dal with the vegetables until they are half cooked. This takes about 11 to 12 minutes.
• Now add the chopped okra, tamarind pulp, and ground masala. Add some more water if the sambar has become thick.
• Add salt, give the sambar a rolling boil once, and then simmer until the vegetables are cooked. This will approximately take about 15-16 minutes.
• Close the flame when all the ingredients in the sambar have nicely infused with one another, and you have a lovely sambar aroma pervading all around in your kitchen. Keep the sambar closed with a lid and move on to the next step of tempering the sambar. 

Tempering For Kerala Sambar

• In a pan or the tadka utensil, heat oil. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add all the other ingredients and fry them till they become fragrant. They do not get burnt. Take care.
• Once the tadka is ready, directly pour the hot tadka on the hot sambar.
• Immediately, cover the Kerala sambar with a lid and let it stay closed for some 8 to 10 minutes. We do this at home so that the flavours and aroma of the tadka get very well infused with the sambar or dal.
• Later, mix well.
• Serve the Kerala sambar with boiled rice and pappadums, accompanied by a side vegetable dish and a bowl of yoghurt or raita. Enjoy.
• If there is any leftover sambar, you could have it the next day with dosa, idli, medu vada or dal vada. But keep the leftover sambar in the fridge.

Tamil Sambar

• To begin making the Tamil Nadu Style Vengaya Sambar / Onion Sambar Recipe, pressure cook the dal with turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups water for about five whistles until the dal is done. Once done, mash the toor dal and keep aside.
• Into a pressure cooker, add a teaspoon of oil and pearl onions. Roast the pearl onions for about 4 to 5 minutes until you get a roasted aroma. Once the onions are roasted, add the tomatoes and the homemade sambar powder, salt, and turmeric powder to the tamarind water.
• Cover the pressure cooker and allow the Vengaya Sambar Masala to pressure cook for two whistles and turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to release naturally.
• Open the cooker, add the mashed toor dal and combine the Onion Sambar well. Check the salt and adjust accordingly.
• To season, heat a small tadka pan with oil. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilli and a pinch of hing and let it crackle. Add the curry leaves and turn off the heat.
• Pour the tempering over the onion sambar and give the sambar a brisk boil. Once done, stir in the chopped coriander leaves and transfer the Onion Sambar to a serving bowl.
• Serve the Tamil Nadu Style Vengaya Sambar Recipe and homemade Soft Idli, Ghee Roast Dosa and Coconut Chutney for a weekend breakfast.

Udupi Sambar

• Pressure cook tuvar dal with 2 cups water with ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder for 7 to 8 whistles on medium flame. 
• When the dal is cooked and soft, mash the dal with a wired whisk or a spoon. Keep aside.
• In another pan, mix the chopped veggies, 2 cups water, turmeric powder, salt and cook till the veggies are almost done.
• Add the mashed dal to the veggies.
• Stir and add the tamarind pulp followed by the sambar masala paste. If required, you can add some water.
• Add the jaggery also and stir.
• Simmer for some 10-12 minutes or more till the raw aroma of the tamarind has disappeared and the full flavours in the sambar have merged.
• Taste and, if required, add salt.
• Making Tempering 
• Heat oil. First, splutter the mustard seeds.
• Then add the red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
• Fry for some seconds and pour the tempering mixture into the Udupi sambar.
• Cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes to mix the tempering flavours with the Udupi sambar.
• Serve hot with idli, dosa or steamed rice.

Andhra Style Sambar

• To begin making the Mukkala Pulusu Recipe, heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Cook them for about 10 seconds.
• After 10 seconds, add asafoetida, dry red chilli and curry leaves. Let it sizzle for another 15 seconds.
• Next, add shallots, green chillies, garlic and sauté for a minute. Add tomato pieces and a little salt. Cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
• Once the tomatoes turn soft, add sambar powder and mix well. Sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add the mixed vegetables (drumsticks, pumpkin, bottle gourd, Mangalore cucumber, carrot and beans), tamarind pulp, 2 cups of water, jaggery, and mix well. Close the lid of the pressure cooker & cook for two whistles. Turn off the heat & open the cover once the pressure subsides.
• Give it a mix, garnish with coriander and serve hot. 

North Indian Style Sambar

• Thoroughly wash the split red gram (arhar dal or tuvar dal) with water and add it to the cooker. Add salt, turmeric powder (Haldi powder) and water to cook the dal in the cooker. Turn off the flame and allow the cooker to cool. Close the lid and cook it for one whistle.
• Heat a kadhai on another stove and dry roast Bengal gram (chana dal), black gram skinned (dhuli urad dal), fenugreek seeds (methi dana), whole coriander seeds (sabut dhania), whole red chilli (khadi lal mirch), Cumin seeds (jeera) and 3/4 tablespoon of black mustard seeds (Sarson dana or rai).
• Transfer the roasted ingredients to a mixer jar and grind them to a granular powder form.
• Heat oil in a kadhai and add the chopped onions to it. Saute the onions and add the chopped vegetables to the kadhai.
• Add turmeric powder (Haldi powder) and salt to the cooking vegetables and cook them for 2 minutes.
• Now add the sambar masala prepared in steps 2 and 3 and tomatoes to the cooking vegetables in the kadhai. Mix all the ingredients well.
• Transfer the ingredients of the kadhai to the half-cooked split red gram (arhar dal or tuvar dal) in the cooker. Check the water and consistency of the dal. If required, add more water. Close the lid and cook for one whistle.
• Turn off the flame and allow the cooker to cool.
• Now transfer the sambhar prepared to a beautiful serving bowl.
• Heat some in a small pan and roast the remaining black mustard seeds (Sarson dana or rai), curry leaves and 1-2 whole red chilli (khadi lal mirch).
• Add the roasted ingredients to the sambar prepared, as shown in the images.
• The sambhar is now ready to be served.