Sambar is the most popular South Indian staple. Essentially, this stew contains a variety of strong flavours. First, a lentil-like meal called toor dal is prepared, to which various veggies are added, including carrots, pumpkins, tomatoes, and drumsticks (which are tree branches, not drums). The tamarind paste takes the lentils to a new level with its acidic flavour, which is the greatest part. Sambar recipe can be crafted as per one's liking and taste. Some popular veggies include fenugreek, cumin, and mustard seeds, among other excellent elements. You allow the vegetables to absorb the spices and combine them with the lentils. It's so warm and inviting, it's like a foodie's dream come true. It can be as thick or as soupy as you choose. It is like a chameleon among dinnerware. In South India, these are known as idli, dosa, or vada, and they are always eaten with rice. It's a staple dish, served at every family get-together and even during informal lunches. Sambar is not just a meal; it's an emotion. And the colourful and nutritious veggies give it a dimension that makes it difficult to resist. Here's the delicious Sambar recipe, try it out now.

• 1/2 cup toor dal
• 1 tsp tamarind
• 1 onion
• 2 tsp coriander powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 2 tsp cooking oil
• 1 pinch hing
• Fenugreek seeds
• Green peas dried

• Begin by boiling 3/4 cup of toor dal with 2 cups of water until it turns tender and creamy. You can stick with toor dal or mix things up by incorporating moong dal and masoor dal for a unique twist on flavour. The choice of dal you make will impact the taste and consistency of your sambar.
• Aim for a blend of masoor dal and toor dal to achieve that authentic hotel-style sambar in equal proportions. If you opt for a pressure cooker, cook the dal for approximately 2 to 4 whistles on medium heat. For an Instant Pot, set it to pressure cook for 9 minutes.
• If you don't have a cooker, simmer the dal in a pot, adding water as necessary.
• Once the dal is done, mash it with a masher or ladle until it's soft and thoroughly cooked to achieve the texture in your sambar.
• While your dal simmers, you can make the sambar powder from scratch unless you prefer a convenient store-bought option. Start by dry roasting 4 to 5 dried red chillies, 1 tbsp of chana dal and 1 tsp of urad dal over heat until they turn golden.
• Next, toss in 1 tbsp of coriander seeds and saut them until they emit a delightful aroma before transferring the mixture onto a plate. Finally, dry roast 1/2 tsp of methi seeds until they darken slightly.
• Reduce the heat, add 1/2 tsp of cumin, and saut for about a minute until it becomes aromatic. Allow the mixture to cool down, then grind it into a fine consistency. Set this aside.
• Wash and chop your vegetables for the recipe. You can use small onions, tomatoes, drumsticks, okra (bhindi) and carrots.
• In a pot, heat 1 tsp of oil. Saut the onions for about a minute before adding all the vegetables. Continue saut ing for 2 minutes, then mix in 1/2 to ¾ tsp of red chilli powder according to your taste.
• Pour in 4 to 5 cups of water and give it a good stir. (Use 4 cups if you're only adding toor dal and 5 cups if you're including some moong dal.)
• While saut ing the veggies is optional, it's highly recommended. Sometimes onions, tomatoes and chilli powder can emit an odour when boiled directly, so saut ing helps mitigate that. If you're using shallots, you can skip this step. Once the pot heats up, take a ladle and transfer it into a bowl. Add 1 to 2 tbsp of tamarind and 1 tbsp of jaggery and let it soak.
• Once the veggies are cooked to perfection, stir in a quarter tsp of turmeric, the previously mentioned sambar powder (or one and a half to two tbsp of store-bought powder), and three-quarters of a tbsp of salt. Allow it to simmer for another three to five minutes until the vegetables are tender and the drumstick seeds are soft. Squeeze the tamarind that has been soaked to extract its juice and pour it into the sambar. Strain the tamarind juice to remove any pulp. Be careful not to add all the tamarind juice at once, and you can always add more later if needed. Mix the mashed dal into the pot and stir everything. At this point, taste your sambar and adjust the salt or tamarind water to your liking.
• Bring the sambar to a boil, then toss some chopped coriander leaves. For the tempering, heat up a tbsp of ghee or oil in a pan.
• After heating the oil, add half a tsp of mustard seeds, half a tsp of cumin seeds, a pinch of fenugreek seeds and one or two broken dried red chillies. When the mustard seeds pop, toss in a sprig of curry leaves. Once the curry leaves turn crispy, sprinkle in an eighth of a tsp of hing (asafoetida).
• Add this seasoning over the sambar and allow it to simmer for two to three minutes. Finally, serve your recipe of sambar alongside rice or idli and relish the delightful flavours.