Idli Sambar Recipe (Tiffin Sambar)

Ingredients

See the recipe card for exact ratio and measurements of the ingredients.

• Toor Dal– or Arhar dal or pigeon peas work best for this recipe. We don’t prefer mixing dals. Feel free to add another lentil.
• Curry Leaves– I prefer using fresh kadi patta.
• Green Chili– going to be a spicy sambar. Adjust heat.
• Vegetables– Carrot, pumpkin, onion, tomato, garlic. I never add capsicum. Trust me it will take over the whole flavor.
• Indian Spices– mustard seeds, turmeric powder, dried red chilies, red chili powder.
• tamarind paste– can use homemade or lemon juice. I have used store-bought.
• Sesame oil– can use any cooking oil or ghee.
• Salt

How To Make Idli Sambar or Tiffin Sambar

Step 1. Wash, Soak lentils and chop veggies

In a bowl, add arhar dal and rinse it several times till the water is clean. Soak it while you prep veggies.

Roughly chop veggies- onion, tomato, carrot and pumpkin. Grate Garlic.

Step 2. Temper veggies in a pressure cooker

In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. Once they crackle, add red chilies dried), curry leaves. Add grated garlic, onions, and green chilies. Cook till onions are transparent and add tomatoes. Cook for 2 min on slow flame and then add chopped veggies- carrot, pumpkin. Add a little bit of salt, red chili powder, and turmeric powder, and cook on a slow flame.

Step 3. Boil Toor Dal

In the same pressure cooker, add the soaked toor dal. (remove soaked water). Add water to soak dal and veggies 2 inches deep. Add salt and pressure cook for 2 whistles on full flame. Cook on slow flame for 5-10 minutes.

Step 4. Cook Sambar on slow flame

Let the pressure cooker cool off. Cook on slow flame for about 5-8 minutes. Add tamarind paste. You can add garam masala or sambar powder at this stage. While sambar is cooking, you can make idlis.

Step 5 Serve It.

Serve the warm and fresh tiffin sambar with soft and fresh idlis.

Expert Tips

• This Tiffin sambar can be packed for lunches easily. It is of slightly thin consistency. So, you may check for leakage before packing. I suggest packing when it cools off and add idlis along as they will soak up the sambar.
• Make sure to keep stirring when sambar is cooked on slow flame.
• Add tamarind at the last, as adding any sour-flavored thing with raw veggies won’t let them cook. Sour flavors are added at the last when the veggies are cooked.
• You can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for about 3-4 days or freeze them for a week.

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