SOUTH INDIAN RECIPES · RECIPE

Karnataka-Style Sambar

Name: Karnataka-Style Sambar
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ¾ cup toor dal; ¼ tsp Khushilo Turmeric Powder; 2 cups mixed vegetables (drumstick, pumpkin, brinjal, beans); 1 small onion or 8 shallots; 1 tomato, chopped; Lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water; 2–3 tsp Khushilo Sambar Powder; 1 tsp jaggery (optional); Salt to taste; Tadka: 1 tbsp oil or ghee, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, a sprig of curry leaves, a pinch of hing

A thick, gently sweet sambar with drumsticks and vegetables — perfect with rice, idli or dosa.

Khushilo Kitchen14 Oct 20266 min read

Serves: 4
Prep: 15 min
Cook: 35 min

Ingredients

¾ cup toor dal
¼ tsp Khushilo Turmeric Powder
2 cups mixed vegetables (drumstick, pumpkin, brinjal, beans)
1 small onion or 8 shallots
1 tomato, chopped
Lemon-sized ball of tamarind, soaked in 1 cup warm water
2–3 tsp Khushilo Sambar Powder
1 tsp jaggery (optional)
Salt to taste
Tadka: 1 tbsp oil or ghee, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, a sprig of curry leaves, a pinch of hing

Method

1
Pressure-cook the toor dal with turmeric and 2 cups water for 4–5 whistles. Mash well.
2
In a pot, cook the vegetables, onion and tomato in 1½ cups water with salt until just tender.
3
Squeeze the tamarind and add the extract. Simmer for 5 minutes.
4
Add sambar powder and jaggery, then the mashed dal. Simmer for 5–7 minutes, adding water to reach the thickness you like.
5
Heat oil for the tadka, crackle the mustard seeds, add chillies, curry leaves and hing, and pour over the sambar.

Why it tastes like home

The small amount of jaggery and plenty of vegetables are what make a Karnataka sambar different. Let it rest 10 minutes after the tadka so the flavours settle.