Sambhar or Sambar is a traditional South Indian vegetable-lentil stew made in a tamarind broth with spices, using minimal amount of oil. It is flavourful, hearty and nutritious to say the least. A delectable medley of different kinds of vegetables and aromatic spices, supplemented with tangy notes from the tamarind, and the comforting presence of lentils truly rounds off the dish, instigating the warmth and joy of home cooked meals. The dish is commonly made with toor dal or pigeon pea supplemented by brinjal or eggplant, onions, tomatoes, moringa or drumstick, pumpkin, okra or ladyfinger, and radishes. But in South Indian homes, every family has their unique way of making Sambhar, making use of whichever vegetable or lentil is at hand, that tastes equally flavoursome and toothy. Therefore, if it looks like a sambhar, smells like a sambhar, tastes like a sambhar, then guess what? It is a sambhar. There’s no hard and fast rule of making sambhar if you’re keeping the basic components of the dish intact and that opens up a world of signature sambhar dishes that nobody has tried before. So here are 5 variations of sambhar that one absolutely ought to try if they’re keen on calling themselves a lover of South Indian cuisine.
1. Manjal Sambar, Chickpea flour and Turmeric Sambhar
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Red radishes are added to a regular sambhar but their presence is only felt in passing. This sambhar preparation calls for slow cooking the radish until completion with the toor dal and spices and adding a tadka in the end for extracting the maximum flavour. The shining light of this sambhar preparation is the radish, which is celebrated in the dish rather than made to mask its presence. No other vegetable is added to this extent and slow cooking this sambhar only makes it that much better, as the sambhar spices and the tamarind truly get the time to merge with the tough radishes and the flavours from the radish to infuse with the stew, making it a nutritious, healthy affair altogether. You can prepare it on the weekends or overnight and in the end, you will be greeted with a hearty sambhar without having to spend time hovering over the stovetop.
