Sambar podi recipe in mixie, small batch for a month's use. Can be added to all south Indian cooking. Not just sambar, but also curry, stir fries, kootu, kuzhambu etc. This turns out really flavorful and you can prepare easily at home, best for people who don't have access to a flour mill or wants fresh flavor.
This post is a scaled down recipe of my bulk sambar powder in mill I have posted earlier, which can be used for an year.
Though I have posted two versions in that post, I just found a perfect balance for small match and thought of sharing it here. Check out my Lunch Sambar Recipes in this website.
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When I posted my mom's and mami's sambar powder (milagai thool as we call) I got many requests and queries to post in cup measurements.
Every time I buy red chilli or dhaniya pack I wanted to measure it in cups and note down. These many years, only last year I did that for red chilli and coriander seeds.
But had 1000 doubts that I ask every now and then to my mom and forget about posting. Now this is the time, I should share this sambar podi because there is a need.
I do have some stock that Mami got during her recent December trip. But amma's powder is done and whatever left over is so stale.
Always have a feel my sambar powder stock doesn't smell as fresh as the one amma and mami has. When I open my mami's sambar powder dabba, the aroma is just so fresh and good as soon as it hits my nose.
When I open mine and even when I take the risk to take it near my nose, I could not smell any pleasant flavour like hers. Not to mention about the taste of sambar using it! I am not sure if it is the way I store it or the Singapore weather.
My mom in law has one age old container for that she uses specifically for the big batch and then a smaller batches in sembadam for taking everyday use.
I too follow the same but it doesn't smell the same I guess I should invest in a good container when I go next time.
Sambar powder small batch
I want to apologize to all who asked me cup measurements for long time and I did not post (though I have replied to some of you in mails and comments).
Been meaning to post this for long time, better late than never. So after asking my mami and mom this is the measurement I got and gonna use for fresh batch I am going to grind in mixie.
Hope it will be useful for many now as many of us are stuck in the places we are and could not get our shares of sambar powder.
Why homemade?
Because it is so fresh, flavorful that it will take your cooking to next level. It saves your some bucks, no preservative, as well if you are an extensive cook as we use this masala powder for a lot of everyday cooking.
Sambar podi Ingredients
Here are the ingredients needed to make Sambar podi.
- Dry red chillies - I used both Byadgi chilli, regular long dry red chilli in this version. One for colour and other for spice.
- Coriander seeds - Use brown, fresh stock coriander seeds as this is the main flavor in sambar podi.
- Toor dal - Yellow lentils - for flavor and adds thickness (body) to the gravy.
- Chana dal - Adds thickness when added to sambar
- Fenugreek seeds - Gives flavor and balances the taste
- Cumin seeds - Though added in small quantity, gives a lot of flavor
- Black pepper - Adds a sharp spice note
- Mustard seeds - Same like fenugreek seeds, adds flavor and taste
- Raw rice - Acts as thickening agent
Please check my recipe card below for measurements.
Step by step images
1. Heat a pan until its hot and put it in low flame. Add coriander seeds, red chillies and roast just to feel the ingredients hot. Takes a minute. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add chana dal, toor dal, pepper if adding, rice, mustard and cumin seeds. Same, roast one minute just to heat the ingredients. Remove in the plate.
3. Add methi seeds and roast well until golden and fragrant. Remove in plate and cool the ingredients completely.
4. Grind in a mixie with turmeric powder to a fine powder.
Give some time break in between to avoid over heating. Do not continue if the container is hot as it could spoil the mixie.
Also wipe the sides for even powdering.
Initially the color may be brown, but as the red chilli gets powdered, it turns the orangish color.
Mix well and cool down the powder if warm, before storing in the airtight container.
This gives you roughly 1 & ½ cups of the sambar powder, can be enough for a month.
Substitutions & Variations
Dry red chilli - I have used a Byadgi chillies for colour and the regular long dry red chilli for spice. You can use Kashmiri red chilli too in place of Byadgi chilli and Round dry red chilli for Spice. My Red chillies are medium spiced only. Depending on the variety you use, you should adjust the quantity.
My notes
I have not used turmeric in this, but if you want you can mix turmeric along when you are grinding. This recipe needs ½ tablespoon of turmeric approximately.
Uses
Though named as sambar podi, we call it usually molaga thool (curry powder if I want to sound familiar).
So this can be used in all south Indian cooking - Sambar obviously, kuzhambu, poriyal, kari, kootu etc. like a masala powder.
Unlike the bulk version, this may be more flavorful and strong. Gets thick sooner. So use it like a fusion between bulk sambar powder and the arachuvitta sambar masala.
Means, I usually boil longer if it is the bulk sambar powder version but add this small batch sambar powder only towards end. Hope you get what I try to say.
If you want sambar powder measurements for bulk storage,refer this post.
FAQs
Why I don't add asafoetida?
I prefer to add it to my cooking directly than in the condiment as it may lose it's flavor.
Roasting in oven
Same ingredients as above. But you can easily do this without any supervision and avoid standing near hot stove stirring.
Flavorwise this is very close to arachuvitta sambar with fresh sambar masala I feel.
- Pre-heat oven at 170 degree C for 10 mins or the temperature is reached.
2. In the baking tray (sheet pan) First lay fenugreek seeds, toor dal, chana dal, rice & mustard (if adding).
3. Put the tray inside and roast for 5 mins.
3. Take out, add cumin, pepper, red chillies and coriander seeds. I layered coriander seeds over the already roasted item. This prevents further browning of the same. All ingredients are added as single layer for even roasting.
4. Again put inside oven and just let it be in the heat for 10 mins.(no need to switch on and roast) Set timer/ alarm for 10 mins for not forgetting inside.
Take out and cool down completely. Now all the ingredients will be crisp.
Lastly powder the roasted ingredients finely as mentioned above in a mixer or spice grinder. If you want add turmeric powder while grinding.
About oven temperature & time:
Some oven might need less time or you should reduce the temperature by 10 deg. Please experiment and always keep an eye inside first time to prevent over browning of the ingredients.
Recipe card
Sambar Podi Recipe | Small batch Sambar powder
Equipments (Amazon Affiliate links)
Ingredients
- 1 cup coriander seeds
- 1 cup dry red chillies (I used 10 badagi chilli + 15 long red chilli)
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon toor dal
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon rice
Optional:
- 1 teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
Instructions
- Measure the ingredients and keep it ready.
- Heat a pan until its hot and put it in low flame.
- Add coriander seeds, red chillies and roast just to feel the ingredients hot. Takes a minute. Transfer to a plate.
- Add chana dal, toor dal, pepper, rice, mustard and cumin seeds.
- Same, roast one minute just to heat the ingredients. Remove in the plate.
- Add methi seeds and roast well until golden and fragrant.
- Remove in plate and cool the ingredients completely.
- Grind in a mixie with turmeric powder to a fine powder.
- Give some time break in between to avoid over heating. Do not continue if the container is hot as it could spoil the mixie.
- Also wipe the sides for even powdering.
- Initially the colour may be brown, but as the red chilli gets powdered, it turns the orangish colour.
- Mix well and cool down the powder if warm, before storing in the airtight container.
Video
Notes
- I used 15 regular long variety chilli and 10 byadagi chilli for colour. You can use regular chilli fully too.
- Rice and mustard are optional.
- You can also use whole turmeric.
- If you live in a hot, sunny region, you can also sun dry the ingredients and grind.
Lakshmi Srinath says
Hi raji problem is not with the dabba it is with dania. You would have chosen the hybrid dania that doesn't smell. It is the nattu dania that smells fantastic. The nattu dania looks brownish in color and smaller in size when compared to the hybrid which is fresh and pale green. Please do try and let me know
Raks Anand says
I always wondered which one to buy, thanks a lot for sharing this! This is the first time I am grinding the sambar powder.What I meant actually was I usually get bulk sambar powder from them. Mom and mom-in-law only passes it to me for year's use. But mine gets less flavourful with time.
Vinodkumar says
Put in the fridge in cellophane covers or ziplock covers. It should remain fresh for eons, Om
Gayathri says
Hi Raji,
I started following yr post just recently.
Tried yr sambar and it came out excellent. Love the exact measurements you give. Easier for those cooking for the first time.
In yr sambar podi recipe, i have a doubt. I have the long dried chillies and the round gundu ones. I dont have the byadgi chillies( wrinkled ones?) Is it ok to use the gundu ones? If yes how many?
Thank you
Raks Anand says
Thank you so much Gayathri for your kind words.
Byadgi chillies gives color. You can definitely use gundu milagai in place of it. Only it will be slightly dull in colour and slightly spicier. You can reduce by 2-3 numbers if you want. Hope this helps you a bit 🙂
Uma says
How much turmeric powder to be used?
Raks Anand says
I added around 2 tsp.
Rema Rajan says
How about hing which is an integral ingredient?
Raks Anand says
We add it always while preparing the dish.
Jeeva Mokan says
Which cup measurement to use if we use big cup same amount of dhals can be used?
Raks Anand says
Hi, please use standard measuring cups for better results. You can see my measurements here: 1 Cup = 240 ml
½ Cup = 120 ml
¼ cup = 60 ml
⅛ cup = 30 ml
1 Teaspoon teaspoon = 5 ml
1 Tablespoon (tbsp) = 3 teaspoon = 15 ml
2 Tablespoon = 30 ml = ⅛ cup
4 Tablespoon = 60 ml = ¼ cup
Rajeswari says
The color and texture of sambar powder is so good. I asked you the same. As time goes the flavor of the powder is gone. I too want to know the reason.
Raks Anand says
For people like my mom, mom in law, they use it soon and finish off the batch. They grind atleast 3 times a year. We stock it for more than that. That's why I feel. Also the container and handling matters 🙂
Rajeswari says
Hi Raji
Thanks for the receipe.
Long waited for to this recipe.
Could you please tell measurements in grams
Raks Anand says
red chilli 37 gms
Coriander 70 gms
Only these two I measured 🙂
Rathi says
Gram measurements which work for me :
90 grams chilli, 20 grams Kashmiri chilli, 50 grams Dhania, 10 g rice, 10 g thoor dal, 10g chana dal,10g cumin,10g pepper,10g Fenugreek,10g mustard, 10g turmeric, totally 10 ingredients.
Meena Kadir says
Thank you, Your Sambar podi Recipe is really really good, works wonders with all the dishes, comes handy because during this Pandemic time it is very helpful we can make it at home, you are doing an amazing job with all the dishes, please keep up the good work, thanks again
Raks Anand says
Thank you so much, happy to know your feedback <3
Jay R says
The cup in the picture looks kind of small US Cup( of 8 fluid ounce)..
In US, cup = 8 oz and 1cup= 16 tbl spoon, so if I am right the ratio is as as follows:
1 cup coriander seeds = ( 16 tbl spoon)
1 cup dry red chillies (I used 10 badagi chilli + 15 long red chilli) = = ( 16 tbl sppon)
Is my understanding correct? Thanks, Jay R
Raks Anand says
Please check my cup measurements: Cup measurements
M Munir Shami says
please why not explain all the ingredients in gramms. Because every body has different cup plus different spoons.
Raks Anand says
Sure will update soon. Meanwhile you can look at this to measure precise. https://rakskitchen.net/cup-measurements/
Sri says
Hi,
I am curious about this recipe because it calls for so much coriander seeds compared to other ingredients. Also, ishouldn't coconut also be added to the powder? Thanks.
Raks Anand says
Yes, this is our traditional recipe we make it through generations. Not to be confused with fresh ground sambar masala for single use. This particular podi is always ground with majority coriander and red chilli and traces of other ingredients in bulk and ground in mill for long term use. We add it not only for sambar but for kuzhambu, kootu, poriyal and in a particular rasam recipe too. We never add coconut in this podi. I guess kopra is added in other cuisines, not in Tamil nadu, atleast in our households. Since I could not get the batch this time from India, I am now making this in mixie and using 🙂 Hope this helps.
Dhivya says
Hi Raji I am from Singapore to .I am looking for grinding mill .could share any milk to grind these powders.
Raks Anand says
Hi Dhivya, I have not actually used any service in Singapore. One of my friend have told about Dawood flour mill in Bedok. Plase google to find the exact address, it's there. Also while roaming in Little India, I have came across couple of mills. Do have a look in Serangoon road you will definitely find one.
Sujatha says
Wonderful Recipe Raks!! Wonderful because
(1)you have given chilli measurement in numbers too, which was so thoughtful. You saved me from breaking my head(ஒரு கப்ல எவ்ளோ மிளகாய் வரும்)
(2) The podi color is bright and striking… மெஷின்ல அரைச்சா மாதிரி. I myself was taken aback looking at the vibrant color
(3) Finally the taste was out of the world
Again thanks so much for the wonderful recipe
Raks Anand says
Thank you so much 🙂
Mahima says
Tried this recipe. Loved the taste!
Raks Anand says
Thank you for your feedback 🙂
LB says
My husband is Tamilian. We don't live in India. I've noticed that spices, rice are so fragrant when fresh. The fragrance disappears in time so when we buy coriander seeds & rice abroad they don't have the same fragrance. Coriander seeds in India smell very different than what we get here. Maybe the reason the podi doesn't smell the same as what's made in India.
Raks Anand says
Yes exactly 🙂