Sambar Powder
The Quirky Foodster Team
About 1 cup
Servings
Ingredients
- Coriander seed — 1/2 cup
- Dried red chiles — 3 tbsp
- Chana dal (split chickpeas) — 2 tbsp
- Urad dal (split black gram) — 2 tbsp
- Cumin seed — 1 tbsp
- Fenugreek seed — 1 tbsp
- Black peppercorns — 1 tbsp
- Turmeric — 1 tsp
- Curry leaves — a handful
Method
- Dry-roast the lentils (dals) first until golden, then add and toast the whole spices, cool, and grind everything together into a fine powder.
- Essential, and notably includes toasting raw lentils/dals alongside the spices — a distinguishing preparation step versus most other blends in this reference, which toast only spices.
Origin: South India (Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala), foundational to the region’s lentil-vegetable stew tradition.
Use: Added generously to the lentil-vegetable sambar stew during cooking.
Classic Dishes: Sambar (the dish sharing this blend’s name); also used to season various other South Indian preparations.
Storage: Keeps 3-4 months sealed and dark; the roasted lentil component can shorten shelf life somewhat versus pure-spice blends.
Variations: Regional South Indian variants, such as Kerala Sambar Powder, differ meaningfully in chile heat and lentil ratio.
Substitutions: A simplified mix of coriander, cumin, chile powder, and turmeric approximates the flavor without the lentil-toasting step.
- Coriander seed — 1/2 cup
- Dried red chiles — 3 tbsp
- Chana dal (split chickpeas) — 2 tbsp
- Urad dal (split black gram) — 2 tbsp
- Cumin seed — 1 tbsp
- Fenugreek seed — 1 tbsp
- Black peppercorns — 1 tbsp
- Turmeric — 1 tsp
- Curry leaves — a handful
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