Description
We all get excited, when we see king-sized paper roast dosas served with piping hot hotel sambhar and coconut chutney at restaurants. Here is the recipe for that scrumptious restaurant style sambhar.| Ingredients | |
|---|---|
| 1 cup | Red gram (soak for atleast 1 hour) |
| 10 nos | Sambhar onions/shallots (soak in warm water to peel off the skin) |
| 15 nos | White pumpkin (1/4 of a whole pumpkin approx) |
| 1 no | Onion (finely chopped) |
| 5 nos | Ripe tomatoes (crushed or pureed) |
| 1 no | Green chilli |
| 3 clove | Garlic |
| 3 tsp | Tamrind juice (or thick store bought pulp 1/4 tsp) |
| 1 tsp | Jaggery (powdered) |
| 2 tsp | Dry coconut flakes/ desicated / coparai thengai |
| 3 tsp | Red chilli powder |
| 2 tsp | Corrainder/dhania powder |
| ¼ tsp | Turmeric powder |
| 2 tsp | Sambhar powder (store bought gives good color) |
| 2 tsp | Salt (or to taste) |
| 1 tsp | Ghee |
| 2 tbsp | Oil |
| ½ tsp | Mustard |
| ½ tsp | Cumin seeds |
| ¼ tsp | Fenugreek seeds |
| 2 nos | Dry red chilli |
| ½ tsp | Asafoetida powder |
| 7 nos | Curry leaves |
| 1 stks | Corrainder leaves |
Instructions
Wash and soak Toor/Red gram dhal (Thuvaram paruppu ) in water for atleast 1 hour. Then pressure cook it with little salt until you get 3 to 4 whistles from your cooker. Once done and when the pressure releases, open and mash it immediately with a flat spatula or blend well and keep aside. Pressure cook pumpkins seperately with a dash of turmeric powder , little salt and water (Maximum 2 whistles) and set aside.
Now take a regular deep sauce pan , heat the oil and add mustard, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and asafetida, let them splutter, then add the chopped onion, sambhar onions, green chilli and garlic and saute them for a while.
When onions turn translucent add crushed tomatoes , tumeric powder, red chilli powder and dhania powder. Saute everything till the tomatoes become tender and juicy. Now add 2 cups water, salt, tamrind pulp, cooked toor dhal or Thuvaram paruppu, cooked pumpkin pieces, jaggery, dry coconut flakes and sambhar powder. Let this soupy gravy come to a boil, add ghee at this stage, taste for salt and garnish with corriander leaves.
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Mullai is the 1 cup measurement the US standard measuremnt cup – 240 ml ? (in india 1 cup generally indicates 200 ml) Thankyou !
Hi Mullai,
First of all “LOVE “your recipes..you are a great inspiration,I have been visiting your site for the last 2 or 3 yrs i think..no regrets at all..glad that i found you!!!Thk you so much!!…Btw,sambar turned out very well!! ; )
Hello Mullai
can we use yellow pumpkin instead of white..
Hi Mullai, Just a couple of more questions…. i live in toronto n couldn’t find sambar onions … can i just use the normal big onions instead?? would it taste good just with big onions n tomatoes?
Also i couldn’t find pumpkin.. but got long squash instead of pumpkin .. pls lemme know
Thats fine go ahead and make it.
Thanks fr quick response mullai.. It’s our anniversary and I am reading your recipe to decide n cook .. Ur site is great
Also I searched everywhere but not able to get pumpkin… Can I use cayote squash instead? Please lemme know.. Thanks
White pumpkin gives a special touch to this dish, its ok to substitute with other squash if you can’t find it. BTW, bhendi will not suit for this recipe. Thanks.
Can I add bhendi to this sambar? Will it taste good?
please post some conventional oven recipes. we made cake but it is not soft.
I’ve started to learn cooking indian food thanks to Mullai. NEVER before was I able to cook indian food because I never knew how much salt to add, or other spices that most recipes would list as “as needed”. Thank very much for all your wonderful recipes. Please continue posting recipes with accurate measurements as you always do.
Just too good mullai – thanks so much for posting this recipe. I love ur site..becos u give the perfect measurements (including the salt) of all the ingredients. I made this sambhar today and it was perfect..everyone liked it. Appreciate all the hard work and effort !!! Keep going…
Hi Mullai,
Tried the sambar.Truly amazing taste.It tasted just like hotel sambar back home.Whenever I had sambar in hotels I”ve wondered what is the secret ingredients which makes it tasty and liked by all.Now I know,THANKS to you.My family loved it.Your recipes make me innovative to try new recipes and since it becomes sucess makes me a confident cook.THANKS.
Mullai : just an urgent queryyy!
i m making this sambhar now, n i dont hv pumpkins, cn i use potatoes instead??
thnx 4 ur reply
Definitely its a big no, just make with onions.
Dear Mullai,
Perfect ingredients and easily repeatable procedure. Sambar turned out yumm… I am enjoying cooking more than ever, with the help of your site though
Is it ok if I use my granma’s sambahr powder?? I use it for making sambhar and as a substitute for chilli powder cuz majority of it is made with dry red chillies.If not please suggest some good brand of sambhar powder.
And your chicken recepies are a big hit among our friends here.My husband makes it for potluck and we get endless compliments!!!
abi
June, store bought powder has cinnamon and gives good color. If that doesnt matter much for you then go with your grandmas powder. MTR sambar powder is my favorite , check the picture here….
http://www.spiceindiaonline.com/delectable_or_disappointment
Mullai can u say 1cup interms of grams. Is it 200gms?
Cant wait to try this. Going to skip the garlic due to religious reasons. Thank you for the detailed instructions.
Hi Mullai,
I tried this recipe yesterday and it came out extremely well…My husband liked it very much…Thanks a lot !
Hi Mullai,
Iam a new member and iam trying out your recipes everyweek, I tried your Sambar recipe and it was really excellent.
Thanks for sharing…
Keep posting more recipes
super
Tried this recipe today and came out hit. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the good work.
Hi Mullai
I tried this sambar today and it was great. My husband loved it very much.
I’m a regular visitor of your site and have tried many of your recipes, all of them have come out really good. Thx for sharing such wonderful recipes.
Good luck
Valli
Hi Mullai,
I tried you hotel sambhar recipe yday and it was awesome. Got good comments from my husband and kids. We had the leftover for lunch and it tasted much better. Thanks for the recipe.
The recipe is too good..thanks
Hello Mullai, tried this sambar and it came out very well. All the compliments to you. Thanks for sharing such great recipes – Raji
hai mullai,
thanks for the tasty recepie.
pls advice what other veg we can use in sambar.
Hi Mullai, i tried this sambaar yesterday, it came out very well as it is in the picture. Very easy and simple way of getting a great dish.
Can we have this ambhar with rice.Plz help
Ma’am, white pumpkin means Poosanikai ya ? The veggie which we used to cook during Ammavaasai…
Have a great day
Hello mullai mam,
i made hotel sambar today..came out great. I used radish insted of pumpkin. Thanks a lot for ur recipe. And i also like this website..Am new here..but am going to try out many dishes.
hi mullai…. i made this sambhar twice and u know wat was the comment tht i got??? sambhar pattayai kallappudu…. thnxxxxxxxxx a ton……
Same here…the compliments just went on and on.
Thanks for posting.
Hi Mullai!
Thankkkkkkk You so much for the recipe..It was so good
Nisha
HI Mullai
Just relished this sambar with Dosai . It was so YUMMY !!!!!!!!!
My friends who had come for lunch just loved it and they were asking for the recipe !
Thanx a lot for posting this
Pooja
Hey Mullai
How does a pumpkin look in the farmer’s market as my family as never done sambhar with pumpkin Plz help.
christy
sambar looks mouth watering
always y try to make sambar somewhat the other won’t turn to be good.
now i’m going to try your version
i hope this time i won’t fail.
can i use sambar vadagam finally ti finish the dish.( made by toor dal, bengal gram dal, black gram dal, asafoetida and sambar onion all together crushed and dried.
Christy, use of vadagam will change the taste. Vadagam proportion and measure varies with every family, its ok to add to your regular sambar preparations. But for this recipe, inorder to get the right taste pls avoid vadagam. Thanks.
mullai i loved this recipe very much
I tried this recipe. It turned out very good. Thanks for sharing Mullai!
As usual Kalakiteenga madam…
Sooper-ah dinner mudicha kaiyoda, msg panren….
Keep up the good work Madam
Hi Mullai:
Recipe looks awesome,Im gonna try it, but i have a doubt, Is the red chilli powder plain chilli powder? and when we add sambhar powder on top of it, willn’t it be too hot?
Pann, recipe includes jaggery and that should reduce the spice level. Adjust according to your taste.
Okey Sure, thank you so much for your quick reply
Hi Mullai , We tried your sambhar recipe and it tasted wonderful like a Hotel Sambhar . Thanks for the same . Regards , Salai
I’m done with radish Sambar. Came out delicious… Thanks, Mullai.The only left over I prefer the most is sambar…
I’m a sambar lover, Mullai. First time saw this recipe. Waiting to make this….
Hi Mullai, I made this sambar yesterday and my husband loved it. Didn't had pumpkin, so added red radish. It came out really nice. Thankyou. I usually don't cook a lot of varieties, but your recipes (especially the pictures) motivate me to try more varieties. You are an amazing cook!
hai MULLAI thanx
i gonna try today new sambhar,coz normally we made it with carrots,drumsticks,eggplants etc.
Hi Mullai I have doubts in this sambar
1. 1 teaspoon jaggery means is it sugar or manda vellam.
2.If I am using 2 cups of dal do i have to put 6 teaspoons chilli powder and 10 no’s tomato
3.Can I crush the tomatoes in mixie or shall i cut it.
4.Can I use shredded coconut instead of dry coconut flakes.
5.1 onion means is it a big one(bellary)
I am going to prepare this for a party.Please clear my doubts soon.
Hello Madam???
1. You can use mandai vellam about a grape size.
2. If your home made chili powder is too spicy, then reduce to 2 tsp for each cup. Since you are adding vellam and lots of tomato pulp, the spice level will be adjusted. Ofcourse everything has to be doubled for 2 cups.
3. Crushing is mixie works only with blanching, raw crushing with the skin on will taste sour. So better cut or crush with hands. Crushed canned tomatoes will give nice colour and sweetness to your dish. (option)
4. Dry coconut has got nice nutty flavour, if using fresh grated.. then toast it slighly on a tawa and then add.
5. Usually when nothing is specified, assume its a medium onion.. any variety is fine.
Thank you very much for ur Quick Response Mullai Mam.I will post the result after I made that.Thanks a lot
This came out nicely. Thanks, Mullai.
Jeya
Hi mullai,
Today i made this sambar for pongal. It tastes awesome just like saravana bhavan sambar.
Thanks
Deepu
Deepu, thanks so much… waiting for your next post.
hello,
pls cud u explain as in the last line of the procedure u mentioned ..at this add ghee.do we need to add ghee when it comes to boil but wud nt ghee float on the water..
i am going to try ur receipe now.
thanks
ashu
Hi Ashu Singh, Its added just to give rich taste and aroma to the dish. If you wish you can add while seasoning. This is not a must, but normally any sambar would be served with a dash of ghee, instead its being added at the final stage in this recipe.
I tried this recipe.it came out very well.we really enjoyed it.
thanks for sharing a hotel sambhar recipe.
Dear Mullai
please advise whether we can use some other veg like drum sticks or so instead of pumpkins
Sleshar,
Any squash is Ok, but if you can't find them, then try with small onions. If nothing works, go with drumstick, brinjal, carrot or green bell pepper. All these are added for regular sambar which goes well with rice. As far as I know, most hotel sambar are made with white pumpkins.
thanku mullai
ll try that
all your recipies are good
Mullai: Where can i find pumpkin at this time of the year in the US?
Hi there,
Pumpkin is available in some Indian grocery stores in the frozen asile. I get mine from a local farmers market.
Hi Mullai,
In the ingredients list you mentioned red gram dhal and in cooking method you have mentioned thoor dhal, which one did you use. Please clarify.
thanks,
kala
Hi Kala,
Red Gram is nothing but Toor dal.
Red gram in English, Thuvaram paruppu in Tamil, Arhar dal in Hindi, kandi pappu in Telugu, Thuvara in Malayalam, Togri Bele in Kannada. Hope this helps.
Thanks for clarifying that.
Really mouth watering sambhar recipe.
I liked it.
Thks for sharing.
Do share such amazing receipes in future toooooooooo.