Udupi Sambar Recipe

User Reviews

5

38 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    30 mins

  • Cook Time

    20 mins

  • Total Time

    50 mins

  • Servings

    4

  • Calories

    275 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Indian

Udupi Sambar Recipe

Udupi Sambar is a lentil and vegetable stew featuring pigeon pea lentils cooked with a tamarind-spiced broth, assorted vegetables, and a freshly ground Udupi sambar masala made from toasted spices and coconut. It delivers a rich, tangy, and mildly spiced flavor typical of South Indian cuisine.

Description

This Udupi Sambar recipe uses pigeon pea lentils pressure-cooked until soft and mashed. The distinctive sambar masala is prepared by dry roasting coriander, cumin, dals, fenugreek, red chilies, and asafoetida, then ground with fresh grated coconut and water to a smooth paste. Vegetables such as shallots, carrots, bottle gourd, brinjal, and tomato are simmered until nearly tender in turmeric and salt-seasoned water. The tamarind soak is extracted for its tangy pulp, which is combined with the lentils and vegetables.

The dish is finished by mixing in the spiced lentil mash with the vegetable broth, creating a thick stew with a depth of flavor from the coconut and freshly roasted spices. It is typically garnished with fresh curry leaves and coriander. Udupi Sambar provides a warm, comforting texture with tender vegetables and a balance of sour, spicy, and savory notes. It pairs well with steamed rice or idli.

Vegetable choice can be varied according to availability and cooking times. Adjust the consistency with water as needed to achieve the desired thickness.

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Ingredients

Servings

Main ingredients

  • cup pigeon pea lentils (tur dal or arhar dal)
  • 2 cups water for pressure cooking dal
  • 5 to 6 shallot sambar onions) or 1 medium-sized onion - quartered, optional
  • 1 carrot - peeled and chopped
  • ½ cup bottle gourd lauki or opo squash, chopped
  • 2 to 3 brinjal eggplant or aubergine), quartered, small
  • 1 or 2 chicken 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

For udupi sambar masala

  • 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
  • teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
  • 3 to 4 byadagi red chilies or Kashmiri red chilies, broken and seeds removed, dried
  • ¼ cup coconut or unsweetened desiccated coconut, grated fresh
  • cup water for grinding or add as required

For tempering

  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chili - broken and seeds removed
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • 8 to 10 curry leaves
  • 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil any neutral flavored oil or can use coconut oil, generic cooking oil
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons Coriander leaves for garnish, (optional, chopped

Instructions

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.

Notes

  • Use moong lentils or a mix of tur and moong dal as alternatives to pigeon pea lentils.
  • Choose vegetables based on pantry availability, adjusting the cooking times accordingly.
  • Steaming vegetables instead of boiling is an option to retain texture and flavor.
  • Adjust water quantity to control sambar consistency to your preference.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 275kcal (14%) Carbohydrates 41g (14%) Protein 9g (18%) Fat 10g (15%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Polyunsaturated Fat 1g (6%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Sodium 182mg (8%) Potassium 978mg (21%) Fiber 16g (64%) Sugar 17g (34%) Vitamin A 3196IU (64%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 49mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin C 96mg (107%) Vitamin E 4mg Vitamin K 15µg Calcium 110mg (11%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 615µg Iron 4mg (22%) Magnesium 89mg (22%) Phosphorus 183mg Zinc 2mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 275 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 275kcal 14%
Carbohydrates 41g 14%
Protein 9g 18%
Fat 10g 15%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g 6%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Sodium 182mg 8%
Potassium 978mg 21%
Fiber 16g 64%
Sugar 17g 34%
Vitamin A 3196IU 64%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 49mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin C 96mg 107%
Vitamin E 4mg
Vitamin K 15µg
Calcium 110mg 11%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 615µg
Iron 4mg 22%
Magnesium 89mg 22%
Phosphorus 183mg
Zinc 2mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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