A Tangy-Spicy Accompaniment to Rice or Tiffins like Dosa and Idli, Sambhar is one dish that sees a whole lot of variation . To put it simply sambhar is cooked lentils and vegetables in a tamarind pulp spiced with the sambhar podi (Sambhar Powder).


Araichuvitta Sambhar is a deliciously spiked version of the sambhar where roasted spices and coconut are pounded and added to the lentil-vegetable-tamarind mix.  My mother makes lip smacking varieties of  sambhar and to this date i maintain nobody can cook this dish like her. For many years she used to grind the sambhar podi herself and would not buy the ready-made powder available in market. This recipe is mostly the way i remember eating for so many years now. Have tweaked it a little to suit my changing taste buds.


One thing that needs to be mentioned here is the vegetables that go in to sambhar— White N yellow Pumkins, Ladies finger, Shallots , Drumstick, Brinjal, Radish are the usual stuff, to which i add Jackfruit seeds, capsicum, potato, and sometimes even boiled colocassia (arbi/seppankizhangu)


One other thing — because of the spicy powder we make there is usually no need for adding the ready made sambhar powder, but i add a tbsp or two of it too to really sizzle things up! And the lentil for me is a combo of toor dal and moong dal

So here’s my recipe for Arachuvitta Sambhar—-


Ingredients:-


For the Lentil and VEgetables—-

• Toor Dal (Tuvaram paruppu)  – 1cup
• Moong Dal  (Paasi Paruppu) – a handful
• Yellow Pumkin (washed n cubed) – 1 small cup
• Brinjal – 2 
• Green capsicum – 1 (medium)
• Shallots- 5 to 6

Pulp them to a fine- coarse powder.  You can store the powder in an air-tight container  and refrigerate it for future use. I add a little water and make it to a coarese paste for it to blend well.

Finally add the ground paste and mix well. Boil it for a couple of minutes. 

Add this to the sambhar along with chopped coraiander leaves and fenugreek leaves soaked in the warm water. 

Give it a quick boil and take off flame. Before closing the lid add a pinch of asafoetida….


I like my sambhar a little thick, but you can have a watered down sambhar if you so want !
Serve with hot rice, idli, dosa, vadai—or in my case relish it along with bread slices—

Enjoy !


Sending this to Priya’s MLLA # 30 event announcement by Susan