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Tiffin sambar recipe (Idli sambar with toor dal)

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Tiffin samabr recipe
Tiffin sambar recipe, learn how to make south Indian style sambar had along idli, dosa and other tiffin items. Prepared with fresh ground sambar masala and toor dal.

Already I have a Tiffin sambar recipe with moong dal in my blog, posted almost 2 years back. That’s a version. This is another version of the tiffin sambar perfect for idli. Also for dosa, arisi upma and pongal. This is my mom’s trademark recipe she makes for idli or other tiffin items when guests come. Few readers requested for this recipe. This sambar is always made with potato and shallots. It gives the maximum flavour, every ingredient complimenting each other. But you can adapt this and make it with other veggies also. Other vegetables which works best are – plain with lots of shallots (vengaya sambar), yellow pumpkin (parangikkai), drumstick and brinjal.

There are few special things in this sambar – one is the freshly ground sambar powder, secondly a tsp of ghee and lastly a tsp of jaggery. These things make this sambar smell heavenly. The whole house will be filled with a pleasant smell when you make it. That too along with hot steaming idli or dosa this smells really out of this world 🙂. Though its a basic recipe, I wanted to blog this one with tips and tricks.

tiffin-sambar-with-toor-dal

I used to like this sambar very much before marriage when mom makes. If it’s this sambar, then I eat extra few idlis. And I always love to pour the sambar over the idlis like they do in hotels those days. Because we rarely go to restaurants and always fascinated by things they do there. When I was kid, me and my brother are just contrast to each other in eating habits. What I like he hate to eat and what I hate he would love to eat. Sometimes it becomes like a cold war, if he says I don’t want to eat that vegetable, even though I too don’t prefer, to please my mom and to ‘verupethify’ my bro, I will eat it😁. And he too does that some times.

Likewise, the way he eats is always very clean and neat. His plate will be looking very pleasing even while eating and after he finishes. He even makes sure his hands look neat while eating, doesn’t let the food go beyond his fingers and reach his palm (he hates if it is so and will not mind washing his hands even if it happens in between by chance). Too much right😄?. Obviously I am not like that. He even gives me a weird look if I ask my  mom to pour the sambar over the idli. Then what I do is to mash the idlis along with sambar and make it look more like rice and eat (kozhachu adikradhu). That’s his break point. He will leave the place or just will turn his back and eat. Fun memories! Ok enough.

How to make south Indian tiffin sambar for idli dosa video

tiffin sambar recipe
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Tiffin sambar recipe

Tiffin sambar recipe, learn how to make south Indian style sambar had along idli, dosa and other tiffin items. Prepared with fresh ground sambar masala and toor dal.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings 4
Cup measurements

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Toor dal heaped
  • 1 Potato
  • 12 Shallots (small onion)
  • 2 Green chilli
  • 1 Tomato
  • 1 tsp Tamarind - small marble size
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • 1 tsp Jaggery powdered
  • 1/8 tsp Asafoetida
  • Curry leaves - Few
  • 1 & 1/2 tbsp Coriander leaves
  • 1 tsp Ghee
  • Salt - As needed

To roast

  • 1 1 tbsp Chana dal heaped
  • 3/4 tbsp Coriander seeds
  • 4 Red chillies
  • 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/8 tsp Asafoetida

To Temper

  • 3/4 tsp Mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 1 pinch Asafoetida
  • 2 tsp Oil

Instructions

  • Pressure cook toor dal for 3-4 whistles, with 1 cup water, 2 pinches of turmeric, 2 pinches of asafoetida and few drops of sesame oil.
  • Wash the potato well and cut into 4 and pressure cook it along with the dal. Once done, take out the potato, peel off the skin and break/ cut into bite size pieces.
  • Mash the dal smoothly. Set aside.
  • Meanwhile, roast the ingredients under ‘To roast’ table. You can roast everything together. But except jeera/ cumin seeds, which has to be added towards the end when the other ingredients gets the golden colour.
  • Take care not to burn anything. So roast in medium flame with constant roasting. If anything gets burnt, the total dish will not turn out that good as this is the star ingredient!
  • Cool down and powder into a coarse powder. In between powdering, you might need to wipe the sides, lid of the mixer for even powdering. Set aside.
  • In a kadai, heat oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper table’.
  • Add half of the asafoetida and give a quick stir.
  • Add onions and fry till transparent.Add tomatoes, green chillies and fry for 1 or 2 minutes.
  • Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind(soak in warm water for 10 –20 mins for easy extract).
  • Dilute it and make it 3 cups of it and add start heating in a large bowl.
  • Add the fried onion, tomato to it. Now add few torn curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, turmeric, rest of the asafoetida and bring to boil.
  • Then add the potatoes.Boil for 2 minutes and add the sambar powder.
  • Add it in a sprinkled way little by little with constant stirring to avoid any lump formation.
  • Let it boil. Then add the mashed dal. If the dal is too tight, add more water to loosen it before adding it to sambar.
  • Now after adding the ground sambar powder and dal, the sambar tends to thicken.
  • So you might be needed to add some 3/4 cup to 1 cup water to bring it to the right consistency.
  • So once it starts boiling, as a final touch add the powdered jaggery and mix well.
  • Top with few more torn coriander leaves or curry leaves and mix in the ghee. Switch off the flame.

Notes

  • This sambar should be with less tamarind, unlike our regular sambar.
  • The tomato will give mild tanginess that is not sharp, perfect for the tiffin items.
  • We usually top with sesame oil for extra flavour.
  • You can temper with ghee for more flavourful sambar.
  • Other veggies you can add : Yellow pumpkin, drumstick, carrot, brinjal.
  • Smells great even the next day.
  • I have added asafoetida at various stages, but you can use it only while tempering and adding in the dal.

Tiffin sambar recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Side dish
Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 25 mins    |  Serves: 4
Ingredients
Toor dal – 1/4 cup (heaped)
Potato – 1
Shallots(small onion) – 12
Green chilli – 2
Tomato – 1
Tamarind – small marble size
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Jaggery, powdered – 1 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
Curry leaves – Few
Coriander leaves – 1 & 1/2 tbsp
Ghee – 1 tsp
Salt – As needed
To roast
Chana dal – 1 tbsp heaped
Coriander seeds – 3/4 tbsp
Red chillies – 4
Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
To Temper
Mustard – 3/4 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Asafoetida – a pinch
Oil – 2 tsp

Method

  1. Pressure cook toor dal for 3-4 whistles, with 1 cup water, 2 pinches of turmeric, 2 pinches of asafoetida and few drops of sesame oil. Wash the potato well and cut into 4 and pressure cook it along with the dal. Once done, take out the potato, peel off the skin and break/ cut into bite size pieces. Mash the dal smoothly. Set aside.1-tiffin-sambar
  2. Meanwhile, roast the ingredients under ‘To roast’ table. You can roast everything together. But except jeera/ cumin seeds, which has to be added towards the end when the other ingredients gets the golden colour. Take care not to burn anything. So roast in medium flame with constant roasting. If anything gets burnt, the total dish will not turn out that good as this is the star ingredient!2-tiffin-sambar
  3. Cool down and powder into a coarse powder. In between powdering, you might need to wipe the sides, lid of the mixer for even powdering. Set aside.3-tiffin-sabar
  4. In a kadai, heat oil and temper with the items given under ‘To temper table’. Add half of the asafoetida and give a quick stir. Add onions and fry till transparent.Add tomatoes, green chillies and fry for 1 or 2 minutes.4-tiffin-sambar
  5. Extract tamarind juice from the tamarind(soak in warm water for 10 –20 mins for easy extract). Dilute it and make it 3 cups of it and add start heating in a large bowl. Add the fried onion, tomato to it. Now add few torn curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt, turmeric, rest of the asafoetida and bring to boil. Then add the potatoes.5-tiffin-sambar
  6. Boil for 2 minutes and add the sambar powder. Add it in a sprinkled way little by little with constant stirring to avoid any lump formation. Let it boil. AQdd the mashed dal. If the dal is too tight, add more water to loosen it before adding it to sambar.6-tiffin-sambar
  7. Now after adding the ground sambar powder and dal, the sambar tends to thicken. You might be needed to add some 3/4 cup to 1 cup water to bring it to the right consistency. Once it starts boiling, as a final touch add the powdered jaggery and mix well. Top with few more torn coriander leaves or curry leaves and mix in the ghee. Switch off the flame.7-tiffin-sambar

 

Notes

  • This sambar should be with less tamarind, unlike our regular sambar. The tomato will give mild tanginess that is not sharp, perfect for the tiffin items.
  • We usually top with sesame oil for extra flavour. 
  • You can temper with ghee for more flavourful sambar.
  • Other veggies you can add : Yellow pumpkin, drumstick, carrot, brinjal.
  • Smells great even the next day.
  • I have added asafoetida at various stages, but you can use it only while tempering and adding in the dal.

Serve with idli/ dosa or any tiffin items which goes well with sambar. I always love to have it along with plain coconut chutney and idli podi.

 tiffin-sambar-recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  2. Memories are always spl 🙂 wont fade even everything goes wrong ! i too have a this habit of Kozhaichu adikarthu 🙂 with different one 🙂 def i wll update mine

    Do i need to say photo's are fabulous ?

    Reply

  16. In fact I have tried the other one with moongdal last week which turned out to be a winner at my home..This too I will try..Always wanted to get a perfect Tamil recipe for sambar..Thank you so much Raks.

    Reply

  28. Hi, just want to know if u have made arsi upma. If so can u pls post the recipe. Me and the kids luv upma except hubby boy.
    I also would like to let u know that our family enjoyed the eggless vanilla cake and today I made the tomato kulambu for dinner(yet tobe tasted but the aroma is just delis).
    Thank u for ur recipes.
    Eswari

    Reply

  32. Love the idli sambar combo very much….I can associate my childhood memories with urs..me n my bro used to behave the same way…the things what he likes much I do not like and vice versa..

    Reply

  44. Very tempting and yummy sambar, we too make in the similar way but we add little coconut, never tried with any veggies though. Will try out this some time. Love the addition of jaggery

    Reply

  46. My sis always says if her eldest son like a certain dish then the youngest one don't like because the brother likes and vise versa too and you and your brother sounds like them, when i saw this in flickr i had faved it as i wanted to make them too. Looks so good.

    Reply

  50. I'm with you on the mixing and eating… that always tastes special when compared to dipping – yes it may not be neatest way but it's definitely the tastier way to do it 😀
    Sambhar looks fabulous.

    Reply

  72. Awesome recipe….tried it out todayand was winner…..have been looking a sambar recipe for idly, dosa, up a and other tiffin items….thanks a lot for posting the recipe….waiting to see more lovely recipes from u.

    Reply

  94. hi raks
    i love almost al ur recipies.am 3 months pregnant now and i dont feel like eating some items but ur vengaya sambar was jus 2 yummmmyyyyyyyy…..and this sambhar was awesome.keep posting us ..luv u………!

    Reply

  96. Raji

    I had gone your total fan. Actually I consider myself to be a good cook of tranditional items. I have a practice of keeping only "Samaithu Par" by meenakshi ammal as bible. I do not refer anyother receipe. Yours is the second reference I have now.

    Love your methodoical explanation.

    Reply

  106. Hey Raji,
    Ur recipes are awesome. I really feel like zopping it from ur perfect pics. Following your recipes from long time but never had commented. Thanks a lot for giving us a wonderful set of recipes.

    Reply

  114. Hi,

    I prepared the Sambar today.I had a question though. In Step6,you have mentioned that "Boil for 2 minutes and add the sambar powder"..Hope this is the same Sambar powder that we have prepared in Step3 ie grounded mixture prepared in the Mixie..Please confirm.

    Thanks!

    Reply

  122. I love this site. The cooking technique are so practical, along with the pic stepwise that one can never go wrong. I have tried noodles, chili paneer, lemon rice, coconut chutney, and now tiffin samber. Thank you so much Raks :).

    Reply

  124. Hi Raks,
    If anybody tells you that they're the biggest fan of your sambar, they're clearly lying because I am THE BIGGEST fan! I make this all the time and I usually have to double the recipe for two of us cuz our idlis are usually swimming in the sambar! Thank you so much for such a winner of a recipe!

    Reply

  144. I tried this sambar and it was indeed delicious!!! Felt like having it in a hotel 🙂 My hubby, MIL and FIL loved this one! Thank you Raks! Your recipes are always simple and awesome 🙂

    Reply

  156. I tried sambar today from your recipe. And very satisfied with the taste. I cant thanks enough to you for this sambar. Thank you so much for such a detailed and tasty sambar.

    Reply

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