Udupi Sambar is a spiced, slightly sweet and tangy sambar made with pigeon pea lentils, mixed vegetables, tamarind and freshly ground udupi sambar masala paste.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 30 minutes
  • Cook time: 20 minutes
  • Total time: 50 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Karnataka, South Indian

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup pigeon pea lentils ((tur dal or arhar dal))
  • 2 cups water (for pressure cooking dal)
  • 5 to 6 shallots ((sambar onions) or 1 medium-sized onion - quartered, optional)
  • 1 carrot (- peeled and chopped)
  • ½ cup chopped bottle gourd ((lauki or opo squash))
  • 2 to 3 small brinjals ((eggplant or aubergine), quartered)
  • 1 or 2 drumsticks (- peeled and cut into 3 or 4 inch pieces)
  • 1 tomato (- medium-sized, diced)
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves
  • 1 tablespoon tamarind (- tightly packed, soaked in ⅓ cup hot water)
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 or 2 teaspoons jaggery (or as add as required)
  • 2 cups water (for cooking vegetables)
  • salt (as required)
  • 3 teaspoons coriander seeds
  • 2 teaspoons urad dal ((husked and split black gram))
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal ((husked and split Bengal gram))
  • ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
  • ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida ((hing))
  • 3 to 4 dried Byadagi red chilies (or Kashmiri red chilies, broken and seeds removed)
  • ¼ cup grated fresh coconut (or unsweetened desiccated coconut)
  • ⅓ cup water (for grinding or add as required)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chilies (- broken and seeds removed)
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida ((hing))
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons oil (- any neutral flavored oil or can use coconut oil)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves (- for garnish, (optional))

Method

Making Udupi sambar masala

  1. In a frying pan or skillet, dry roast only the spices mentioned under "for udupi sambar masala". Stir often while roasting/toasting them and ensure that they do not get burnt.
  2. When cooled, grind to a fine paste with ⅓ cup water together with grated coconut.

Cooking Lentils and Vegetables

  1. Pressure cook tur dal on medium to medium-high heat with 2 cups water and turmeric powder for 7 to 8 whistles on medium heat in a 2 litre pressure cooker
  2. Let the pressure fall naturally in the cooker and then only open the lid.
  3. When the lentils are cooked and softened, mash them with a wired whisk or a spoon. Set aside.
  4. Soak tamarind in hot water and set aside for 20 to 30 minutes. Later extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind. Set the tamarind pulp aside.
  5. In another pot or pan, mix the chopped vegetables, 2 cups water, turmeric powder, salt and cook till the vegetables are almost done.

Making Udupi Sambar

  1. Add the mashed lentils to the vegetables.
  2. Stir and add the tamarind pulp followed by the prepared sambar masala paste. If required you can add some water.
  3. Add the jaggery and mix again.
  4. Simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or more, till the raw aroma of the tamarind goes away and the flavors have merged with each other in the sambar.
  5. Taste and if required add salt.

Making tempering

  1. Firstly, heat oil and splutter the mustard seeds. Keep the heat to low.
  2. Then, add the red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida.
  3. Fry for some seconds until the red chilies change color and the curry leaves become crisp. Pour the tempering mixture in the sambar.
  4. Cover the pan with a lid for a few minutes, so that the flavors of the tempering get mixed in the Sambar.
  5. Serve Udupi Sambar hot with steamed rice, idli or dosa.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.