VIRUNDHOMBAL

Quick tiffin sambar recipe with moong dal, toor dal and combination of vegetables. We have tasted this tiffin sambar many times at our Grandma's house prepared by our home chef Deivanai at Tirunelveli. Usually they put onions, chow chow (chayote), carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, green chillies and dals. We have different versions of tiffin sambar in every household with any vegetables as they prefer. You can add capsicum, drumstick or yellow pumpkins too. This sambar recipe is a bit unique recipe with a  combination of dals and  without any tamarind. I wanted to try this quick tiffin sambar at home for a long time. Last week during my visit to Tirunelveli I called her up and asked for the recipe. She explained the recipe  with a few simple steps and the sambar turned out well. This tiffin sambar is a simple yet tasty sambar and perfect side dish for idli, dosa and ven pongal.  Check out my other side dishes for idli and dosa Brinjal Kichadi  Brinjal Kichadi wi...

 A simple sambar for your lunch made with drumstick leaves. Today my husband asked me to make sambar with just one vegetable or any one keerai.  Sometimes it's boring to add more vegetables in sambar when we pack them for their lunch boxes. There are no specific rules in adding different vegetables, but one vegetable is more than enough for sambar. This drumstick sambar is similar to our Tirunelveli sambar, but with a few variations in the cooking methods. For Tirunelveli Sambar, we add sambar powder while cooking the vegetables in the tamarind extract. But for this drumstick leaves sambar, we add sambar powder in the final stage. Generally for sambar prepared with greens, the sambar turns thick so I have decided to add it in the end. In this method, the drumstick leaves stay separate in the sambar and the consistency is also perfect to serve with rice. Make sure to separate the leaves from the stem without any thin sticks. I made a video of the Drumstick leaves sambar. Do che...

Planning a quick and special lunch is always a good idea when we are busy or on any special occasion. This idi sambar and potato puttu combo is one of the best combos which my Grandma makes during our childhood days within 30 to 40 minutes. After when I started cooking, I used to prepare this idi sambar along with potato puttu or vazhaikkai puttu and it is always a super hit at home. Click on the video link to see the recipe in detail.  Here is the video link for Idi Sambar and Potato Puttu Here is my article in Vikatan about my Idi Sambar recipe nellai idisambar recipe - Vikatan Check out other Sambar recipes here Tirunelveli Sambar Idi Sambar Keerai Sambar Radish Sambar White Pumpkin Sambar Killi Potta Sambar Green Chilly Sambar Check out other Kuzhmabu Recipes here Vellai curry (Sambar without dal) Pepper Pulikuzhambu Keerai Chaaru  Mint leaves (Pudhina) Pulikuzhambu  Brinjal Kothsu(Brinjal puree in tamarind sauce) Curry Leaves Karakuzhambu Puli illa kuzhambu (Drumst...

Nanjil Sambar - prepared with the  combination of seasonal vegetables, toor dal and flavoured with freshly prepared sambar powder. Another interesting recipe from my Rema athai. As Nagercoil is her hometown, I learned many nanjil recipes from her. Nanjil refers to the area around Nagercoil, Agastheeswaram, Thovalai etc. Last month I prepared 30 varieties Nanjil recipes for the Aval Vikatan magazine. I have no time to take step by step pictures for all the 30 recipes, but took some pictures for a few recipes. All the 30 varieties are evergreen recipes of Nanjil. This Nanjil sambar is one of my favourite sambar for lunch. This sambar is similar to our Tirunelveli idi sambar but there is no need for any coconut paste.In both Tirunelveli sambar and idi sambar we add coconut paste in the final stage. For this sambar, you need fresh vegetables like drumsticks, brinjal, lady's finger, raw mango, yellow pumpkin, potato and carrot. Plus sambar onions, green chillies and freshl...

Udupi Sambar - colourful and flavourful sambar for idly, dosa and vada. Udupi Sambar is prepared with the same spices and vegetables we add for tiffin sambar but we use bydagi chillies which give a deep red colour for the sambar. Bydagi chillies are roasted along with our regular spices like coriander, cumin, chana dal and fenugreek and then ground it to a smooth paste. The bydagi chillies are also known as Kashmiri chilli and are available in all supermarkets. This bydagi chilly is a less hot than a regular long chilly. So if you want a less spicy sambar for tiffin, choose this Udupi Sambar. The secret to getting the sambar to a smooth consistency with a deep red colour is we have to add the ground paste as soon as the vegetables are done and boil them slow and long so they cook perfectly. The slow cooking method helps to blend well with the vegetables. Then we have to add the cooked toor dal and jaggery. For Udupi Sambar I prefer drumsticks, brinjal, small onions and tomatoes. You...

Pacha Milaga Sambar - Sambars are prepared in different ways. They may be prepared by using different kinds of vegetables with different methods. This Pachai milaga sambar is also different Sambar without any sambar powder. Yes, for this sambar there is no need for any powders except the turmeric powder. Only green chillies are used for spiciness and other basic vegetables are added.

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...

White Pumpkin(Ash gourd) Sambar/ Vellai poosanika Sambar White pumpkin sambar - Easy, flavourful and healthy dish with white pumpkins and karamani. You can prepare this sambar within 20 minutes. After preparing this sambar you can feel how a simple dish could turn into your favourite dish of the day. I learnt this recipe form Chef. Mallika Badrinath's cookbook.  There is no need for peeling lots of onions or grinding any paste. Just little things like chopping the white pumpkins and cooking the dals. You may also substitute karamani  (black eye beans)  with any other cooked lentils depending on your preference. If you like an easy yet tasty dish you might prefer this White pumpkin sambar. Check out my other sambar recipes also. Here is a video for White Pumpkin (Ash Gourd) Sambar Tirunelveli Sambar Idi Sambar Green chilly Sambar Keerai Sambar  Yellow pumpkin Sambar Radish Sambar Nanjil Sambar - Nagercoil Style Sambar 

Idi Sambar recipe with full video and step by step instructions. I learnt this recipe from my Grandma. My Grandma prepares several sambar recipes and each sambar has a unique taste. Each slightly different. All of her sambars are delicious.  This Idi sambar is one of my favourite recipe from her. The aroma in the house was mouth watering when she cooks this sambar. For my Grandma this Idi sambar and aviyal are quick and easy lunch dishes. Give it a try when you want something special but quick and easy. An important first step to note when making this sambar is to bring the frying pan up to the required heat and fry the spices for about 3 minutes or until fragrant. All the ingredients are handy and it is easy to prepare your own sambar powder. I always like sambar with mixed vegetables. The concept of adding different vegetables to make sambar was common in every household. I have used drumsticks, ladies finger, brinjals and mangoes. In addition, you can add potatoes, Indian bean...

Keerai Sambar/ Sambar with greens Greens sambar is a wonderful combination of dal, greens and onions. It goes well with rice and even chapatis or poori. This sambar is easy and simple to make and won't take much of your time.  You can use any type of keerai(greens) for this sambar. In this recipe I have used paruppu keerai.  If you want, you can add 1/4 cup of ground coconut paste when adding toor dal. Instead of toor dal you can add moong dal or masoor dal. Raw mango enhances the flavour and taste of the sambar. If you don't like raw mangoes, substitute with little tamarind juice or 1 more tomato.

Radish (Mullangi) Sambar This is one of the easiest and tastiest South Indian Sambar made within 30 minutes. This dish is a speedy fix for your unplanned weekday lunch.Radish has many nutritional and health benefits. In this Sambar, also I have added coconut  small onions paste to enhance the taste. Radish sambar will reach the unique taste only if the radishes are sauted well and cooked well in the tamarind mixture. Some radishes will take time to cook so allow them to cook well. If you slice the radishes thinly it will get cooked easily. Try to use fresh radishes for a nice flavourful sambar. Here is the link for homemade sambar powder.

This green chilly sambar is light, flavourful and packed with combination of dals and veggies. When you want to eat something light yet delicious food, then try making this green chilly sambar. The main ingredients are drumsticks, green chillies and fresh coconut paste. This sambar is a delicious variation of regular sambar that we usually make at home.  For this sambar do not skip any of the vegetables and do not reduce the green chillies . The com binations of the vegetables gives you a tasty and flavourful sambar. My mother suggests me to add 1/4 cup o f coconut milk in the final stage for a rich and creamy sambar. Th is green chilly sambar goes well with plain rice, chapathi, dosa and idiyappam. Now let's see how to make th is green chilly sambar with step by step photos. Check out my other Sambar recipes for lunch Tirunelveli Sambar Idi Sambar Keerai Sambar Radish Sambar White Pumpkin Sambar Green Chilly Sambar Here is the video link for Killi Potta Sambar My ar...

Sambar is the most common kuzhambu (curry) in all of South Indian cuisine and staple in any restaurant and on important occasions. There are many variations for sambar depending on region or taste preferences. Tirunelveli sambar has some variations in the taste and the ingredients. Most of Tirunelveli recipes consist of coconut and small onions. In this sambar also we add coconut, small onion, garlic and jeera paste. There are two keys to make tasty sambar. The first is to start with the fresh vegetables. When we prepare any dishes with fresh vegetables the result will be the best in taste and quality. The second is to add the correct amount of spices for the nice flavours. Now let's see how to prepare sambar with step by step pictures. Click here for Homemade Sambar Powder recipe. Here is the recipe video for Tirunelveli Sambar    Check out my other Sambar recipes Idi Sambar Keerai Sambar Radish Sambar White pumpkin Sambar Killi Potta...