Recipe
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week! By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Minstry of Curry When I was working on The Essential Indian Instant Pot Cookbook, I got the opportunity to learn how to make Homemade Sambar Powder from my friend Indu’s mother-in-law. If you have followed me for long enough you have probably already tasted some of her other South Indian recipes that I have shared, like Ven Pongal, Vegetable Kurma, Bisi Bele Bhath, and Curd Rice. The recipe in my cookbook is a simplified version where I add all the ingredients to the Instant Pot after the initial tempering of mustard seeds and then pressure cook. This recipe uses some of the traditional cooking steps like sauteeing the aromatics and adding bottle gourd (lauki) which I absolutely love. Easy to make with the one-pot cooking method and check out all of the tips too.
Over steamed rice. You can place a serving of rice on a plate or bowl and pour the lentil soup on top. Mix it well and enjoy. Serve along with crispy dosa, coconut chutney, and potato masala. Check out my Crispy Quinoa Dosa recipe. Serve with steamed Idli or Medu Vada. If you love the traditional South Indian idli, check out this Quinoa Idli recipe. Enjoy as a soup with some chopped cilantro on top.
Tips
Use any vegetables that you may have in the Sambar. Some popular choices are eggplant, okra, pumpkin, and capsicum. Adjust the spiciness by adding more or less sambar powder Adding a spoonful of ghee to the Sambar while serving enhances the flavor. You can also add some jaggery to balance out the sourness of the tamarind.
