Sambar Powder

Sambar is the lentil and vegetable stew of South India, soured with tamarind and served with rice, idli, dosa, vada and pongal. Sambar powder is the spice blend at its heart: dried red chillies, coriander seed, chana dal, urad dal, fenugreek, cumin, pepper, curry leaves and hing, roasted and ground. Styles vary by region, from Madras sambar to Karnataka versions with a touch of coconut and jaggery.

Choose a Madras-style sambar powder for the classic tangy Tamil sambar, a pounded idicha style for a rustic, homemade texture, and a sambar masala or mix for a quicker dish. Vathal kulambu masala sits alongside, for the thicker tamarind gravy made with sun dried vegetables. Most families find one blend they like and stick with it for years.

Cook toor dal until soft, simmer vegetables in tamarind water with the sambar powder until the raw smell goes, then add the dal and finish with a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried chillies and hing in oil or ghee. Add a spoonful of jaggery if you like it Karnataka style. See rasam powder and kulambu masala for other gravies, toor dal for the base, and all our South Indian powders.