Tiffin Sambar - Sambar for Idly and Dosa

Idly, Dosa and Pongal are our common breakfast items. If  a  breakfast eaten with a healthy sambar that will keep you satisfied until lunch. For this reason most of us prefer sambar for idly and dosa. It's high in fibre and include healthy ingredients like dal, onion, drumstick, carrot, potato and tomato. You can replace any vegetables and dals of your choice. Now let's see some important tips for perfect tiffin sambar.

• Tiffin Sambar tastes equally good with toor dal or moong dal or masoor dal and I prefer moong dal as they can be cooked easily and it gives you a perfect consistency also. Moong dal is hence very well suited for idly sambar. You can also add both toor dal and moong dal. Moong dals are very tiny, so you can cook in an open vessel also. If you are in a hurry, pressure cook the dal, just for 2 whistles.

• Drumstick, carrot, potato and small onion are natural companions to this tiffin sambar. So try to include any of these two vegetables. The above are some of the easiest vegetables you can get, but you can also include capsicum, brinjal and yellow pumpkin. Again, I am telling you the same tip no need to pressure cook the vegetables for sambar. If you pressure cook the vegetables, you will lose the wonderful taste and colour  from the fresh vegetables.

• Always keep in mind for tiffin sambar, use tamarind in minimal quantity. If you increase the tamarind then the tiffin sambar won't taste good.

• For a flavourful tiffin sambar I recommend to add both sambar powder and freshly ground masala paste prepared with roasting the spices like coriander seeds, chana dal and red chillies. The freshly roasted coriander seeds add lots and lot of flavours to this sambar. Don't skip this coriander seed. The spices are roasted well and then ground with few grated coconuts, small onions and tomatoes. If you do not prefer to add coconut, just powder the roasted ingredients and add it in the final stage.

• The next important ingredient in this tiffin sambar is a small piece jaggery. It adds an additional taste for this sambar.

• In the final stage, add the asafoetida powder, curry leaves and coriander leaves. After adding these ingredients boil for a few seconds and turn off the heat. Swirl a tbsp of ghee and finish with tempering. Follow these simple tips and prepare a tasty Sambar for your breakfast. 

Side Dishes for Idly and Dosa

• Brinjal Kichadi
• Puli Milagai
• Tomato Onion Thokku
• Tomato Chutney with green chillies
• Ridge gourd Sambar

Tiffin Sambar | Sambar for Idly and Dosa Recipe

Tiffin Sambar - a healthy and a classic side dish for breakfast. It's high in fibre and include healthy ingredients like dal, onion, drumstick, carrot, potato and tomato.

Prep time : 20 minutes
Cook time : 40 minutes
Serves : 4
Category : side dish
Author : Muthulakshmi Madhavakrishnan



Ingredients

• 1/4 cup moong dal
• 10 small onions
• 6 to 8 pieces drumstick
• 1 brinjal
• 1 small carrot
• 1 small potato
• 1 tomato
• 2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
• small lemon sized tamarind
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tsp asafoetida powder
• small piece jaggery
• few curry leaves
• few coriander leaves
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp ghee
• salt to taste

For masala paste

• 1.5 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp chana dal
• 8 dried red chillies
• 2 tbsp coconut
• 3 small onions or 1 big onion
• 1 tomato

For tempering

• 1/2 tsp mustard
• 1/2 tsp urid dal
• 1 dried red chilly
• 2 tsp oil

Cooking Directions

1. Pressure cook the moong dal for 2 whistles. Heat oil in a deep kadai or vessel and add the small onions and green chillies. Saute it well for a few minutes on medium heat.
2. Next, add the carrot, drumstick, brinjal and potato. Stir to combine and let them for a few minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and saute it for a few seconds.
4. Now gently pour in the tamarind extract. Add the required salt and turmeric powder. Cover it with the lid and cook them for 10 to 15 minutes.
5. Heat a pan for about 2 minutes and add the coriander seeds. Roast the coriander seeds until you get a nice aroma and add the chana dal. Roast them till it changes golden brown in colour and add the red chillies. Roast it for a second and turn off the heat. When it cools down add it to small chutney jar and powder it. Next, add the onions, coconut and tomatoes. Grind it nicely with 2 to 3 tbsp water.
6. When the vegetables are cooked well, add the cooked dal and sambar powder. Stir to combine well and let them to boil.
7. Add the ground coconut paste and mix them well with the sambar.
8. Allow the sambar to boil for 5 to 7 minutes and then add the small piece jaggery.
9. Next, add the asafoetida powder, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
10. After a gentle boil, turn off the heat and swirl with a tbsp of ghee.
11. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add the mustard, urid dal and red chilly. Allow them to crackle and add it to the hot sambar. Mix them well and serve it warm.
12. Serve this Tiffin Sambar for idly, dosa, Pongal, mini idlies and also for vadas.

Tiffin Sambar | Sambar for Idly and Dosa with step by step photos

Add the dal and water in a broad vessel and bring up to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes. For cooking the dals in open vessels, I prefer to cook on an induction stove in the lowest heat setting. Add the dal and water directly to the pressure cooker and cook for 2 whistles. You can also add the potato along with the dal.  Soak the tamarind with 1/2 cup of water and extract the juice with 1.5 cups of water.

Peel the small onions, peel the potato and cut into small cubes. Cut the brinjal, drumstick, carrot, tomato and slit the green chillies.

Heat oil in a deep kadai or vessel and add the small onions and green chillies. Saute it well for a few minutes on medium heat. Next, add the carrot, drumstick, brinjal and potato. Stir to combine and let them for a few minutes.

Add the tomatoes and saute it for a few seconds.

Now gently pour in the tamarind extract. Add the required salt and turmeric powder. Cover it with the lid and cook them for 10 to 15 minutes.

Roasting the spices

While the vegetables are cooking, you have got some time to prepare the roasting and grinding work.
Heat a pan for about 2 minutes and add the coriander seeds. Roast the coriander seeds until you get a nice aroma and add the chana dal. Roast them till it changes golden brown in colour and add the red chillies. Roast it for a second and turn off the heat.

When it cools down add it to small chutney jar and powder it.

Next, add the onions, coconut and tomatoes. Grind it nicely with 2 to 3 tbsp water.

When the vegetables are cooked well, add the cooked dal and sambar powder. Stir to combine and let them to boil

Add the ground coconut paste and mix them well with the sambar.

Sambar's finishing touch

Allow the sambar to boil for 5 to 7 minutes and then add the small piece jaggery,  asafoetida powder, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

After a gentle boil turn off the heat and swirl with a tbsp of ghee. Heat a tsp of oil in a pan and add the mustard, urid dal and red chilly. Allow them to crackle and add it to the hot sambar. Mix them well and serve it warm.

Notes

• For the ground masala paste do not add too much of spices or coconut or onions than I mentioned in my ingredient list. Because tiffin sambar must have all the flavours in minimal quantity. I don't prefer cumins for this tiffin sambar, but you can add 1/4 tsp while roasting.
• If you are using compounded asafoetidia, dissolve a small piece asafoetida in water for 20 minutes. Then mix them well with your fingers and add it to sambar in the final stage.
• While serving if the sambar appears thick, just add 1/4 cup of hot water to the sambar and mix it well.

Click here to view the recipe in Tamil டிபன் சாம்பார் தமிழில்