Sambar :

The origin of the dish Sambar is of Tanjavur when the Marathas ruled after defeating the Nayaks.

Some say that Sambar was an accidental dish when the helper accidently poured tamarind pulp into the Maratha dish Amti.

Some stories say that the dish Sambar was made when the Marathas of TN ran short of Moong Dal and Kokum during the preparation of Amti , they used traditional toor Dal and Tamarind pulp used in the making of of Kulambu.

That day as Shivaji’s son Sambhaji was the guest of honour and thus the newly prepared dish by Maratha chefs by the combination of ingredients of Amti and Kulmabu was named as “Sambar”.

Kalyana Veetu sambar

While we all pride ourselves on preparing a delightful Sambar using our unique recipes, there's an inexplicable charm to the Sambar served at weddings, particularly alongside Pongal and other breakfast delights. Not every wedding caters such exquisite Sambar, but certain culinary maestros are renowned for their exceptional offerings. Personally, I'm inclined to follow the crowd and affectionately label it as "Kalyana veetu sambar."

Trust me, it's truly delectable, and I dare say, this recipe captures the exact essence and flavor. Having withstood rigorous testing by discerning critics, I require no further validation. The crux lies not only in the Sambar powder but also in the meticulous cooking process. Take the time to peruse the entire post for a comprehensive understanding.

Test this powder :

Reduce the-qty to few tbsp of each, try, test and let me know in comments.

A few tsp of this podi added to rasam gives it a Mysore rasam feel.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup dad dal

1/4 cup chana dal

1 tsp oil

30-35 red chilies , mix of spicy and Jashmiri chilies , reduce chilies if you wish .

1 tbsp methi seeds

1 tbsp pepper

3/4 cup coriander seeds

Handful of curry leaves

1/4 cup cumin seeds

Add 1-2 tbsp of Kashmiri chili powder to the prepared podi for brilliance.

Method :

Method for making Kalyana veetu sambar podi

1. Oil roast asafoetida till it puffs

2. Oil roast red chilies till they look crisp

3. In the same pan without adding oil roast remaining ingredients .

4. The pepper must pop .

5. Roast all ingredients till aromatic , add some curry leaves .

Remove and allow to cool .

Powder these ingredients in a mixie jar till fine . Remove and keep aside.

Our Kalyana veetu special Sambar powder is ready .

To prepare Kalyana veetu sambar :

Ingredients:

1 cup shallots or chopped onions

4 tomatoes chopped

10 to 12 small drumsticks pieces

Few yellow pumpkin pieces

3/4,cup toor dal washed and pressure cooked with turmeric powder .

1 tbsp Tamrind paste

Salt

Curry leaves

1/2 cup grated coconut

Pinch of asafoetida powder

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

For tempering :

1 tbsp ghee or oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

2 red broken red chilies

Few curry leaves

Method

1. Wash and pressure cook toor dal with turmeric powder to a mashing soft consistency.

2. It should not be grainy but cooked and mashed to a smooth paste like consistency.

3. We will dilute it while preparing sambar .

4. This point is very important.

5. Keep aside .

6. Take a vessel or a pan ,

7. add 1 tbsp oil , add chopped onions or shallots ,

8. add chopped pumpkins , curry leaves , chopped tomatoes , turmeric powder , pinch of salt ,

9. add drumsticks , add the mashed cooked dal by diluting a little , add to the vegetables in the pan , cover and cook till the drumsticks are done .

10. This method of cooking vegetables with dal is what gives that unique consistency, texture and flavour to the sambar .

11. Furthermore add required Sambar powder that we prepared about 2-3 tbsp to a mixie jar , add coconut , grind to a smooth paste .

12. Add this mixture by diluting if needed to the almost cooked Sambar .

13. After adding this key ingredient, stir well , cover and cook for a minute or two not allowing sambar to boil .

14. Add 1 tsp of jaggery powder . Purely optional .

15. Add chopped coriander leaves for garnish .

16. Prepare the tempering by heating oil , splutter mustard seeds , add curry leaves , red chilly , add this to the prepared Kalyana veetu sambar . Cover and keep .

17. This sambar will thicken a bit on cooling , dilute with hot water if needed .

18. Delicious 😋 kalyana veetu sambar is not only excellent to go with tiffin items but also to mix with rice and eat

19. Normally tiffin Sambar is not so suitable to mix with rice abscess as it is much thinner than normal Sambar .

20. But this delicious perfect consistency Kalyana veetu sambar satisfies both .