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Tamil Nadu / South India · Indian

Sambar (South Indian Lentil and Vegetable Stew)

The everyday backbone of a South Indian meal: toor dal simmered with vegetables and tamarind, seasoned with a freshly ground sambar powder and a sizzling tempering. Tangy, savory, and endlessly comforting.

By Table & Traditions Editors

Published June 20, 2026

A bowl of orange-brown sambar thick with chunks of vegetables and lentils, finished with curry leaves and a glistening tempering, beside a mound of steamed rice.

Sambar is eaten across all four southern states, each with its own touch — Tamil Nadu's is robustly spiced and tamarind-forward, Karnataka's a touch sweeter, Kerala's lighter. It anchors the daily meal: poured over rice, soaked up with idli, dipped into with dosa. No South Indian kitchen is without it.

Yield
Serves 4–6
Prep
15 min
Cook
35 min
Total
50 min
Difficulty
Intermediate

If South Indian cooking has a daily anchor, it is sambar — a tangy, savory stew of toor dal and vegetables, soured with tamarind, spiced with a roasted sambar powder, and finished with a sizzling tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves. It is poured over rice at lunch, served alongside dosa and idli at breakfast, and made in some form in nearly every kitchen across the four southern states.

One dish, four states

Sambar is shared but not uniform. Tamil Nadu’s tends to be the most robust and tamarind-forward; Karnataka’s often carries a hint of sweetness from jaggery; Kerala’s runs lighter. The recipe here is a Tamil-leaning everyday version — the kind made on a weekday, not a feast-day special.

Three components, built in order

A good sambar is really three things done well: a thoroughly cooked, whisked-smooth dal for body; properly cooked vegetables (staggered by how long each takes); and the balance of tamarind sourness against the sambar powder’s warmth. Get the dal soft and the souring right and the rest follows.

The tempering makes it sing

The final tadka — mustard seeds popped in hot oil with dried chili, asafoetida, and curry leaves, poured sizzling over the pot — is non-negotiable. It’s added at the very end so the aromatics hit in a fragrant burst rather than getting lost in the simmer.

Serve it over rice or with masala dosa. For more South Indian staples, browse the full recipe collection.

Ingredients

Serves
4

For the dal base

  • 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas) The classic sambar lentil; cooks soft and creamy.
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric

For the stew

  • small lime-sized ball tamarind, soaked in warm water The souring agent that defines sambar. Use 1–2 tsp of paste as a substitute.
  • 2–3 cups mixed vegetables Drumsticks, pumpkin, bottle gourd, carrot, okra, shallots (sambar onions), tomato — any mix.
  • 2–3 tbsp sambar powder Freshly ground is best (see note); a good store-bought powder is fine.

For the tempering (tadka)

  • 2 tbsp oil or ghee
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 dried red chilies
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) Use a gluten-free hing if needed; it gives sambar its savory depth.
  • 1 sprig curry leaves

To finish

  • chopped coriander and salt

Method

Tap a step’s number to check it off as you go.

  1. Pressure-cook or simmer the toor dal with turmeric and plenty of water until completely soft, then whisk smooth.

    Why: A fully broken-down dal gives sambar its body; undercooked dal leaves it thin and grainy.

  2. Cook the harder vegetables in a little water until nearly tender, adding quicker ones (okra, tomato) later.

    Why: Staggering the vegetables by cooking time keeps each one properly done rather than some mushy and some raw.

  3. Stir in the tamarind extract and sambar powder, and simmer 8–10 minutes.

    Why: Simmering the tamarind and spice powder together cooks out the raw edge and lets the sourness and spice marry.

  4. Add the whisked dal and salt, loosen with water to a pourable stew, and simmer gently 5 minutes.

    Why: Adding the dal last keeps it from catching; a brief simmer brings everything together without dulling the dal's freshness.

  5. Make the tempering: heat oil, pop the mustard seeds, add red chilies, hing, and curry leaves, and pour the sizzling mixture over the sambar. Finish with coriander.

    Why: The tadka, added at the end, is what perfumes the whole pot — pouring it over hot sambar releases the aromatics in a burst.

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Variations

  • Tiffin sambar

    Make it slightly thinner and milder, the way it's served with idli and dosa, with extra shallots and a touch of jaggery.

  • Arachuvitta sambar

    Grind a fresh masala of roasted coconut, coriander, chana dal, and chilies instead of dry powder for a richer, special-occasion version.

  • No-tamarind

    Use extra tomato for a gentler sourness if you don't have tamarind, though the flavour shifts.

Serving & Storage

Ladle over hot rice with a spoon of ghee, or serve as a dip alongside idli, dosa, vada, or pongal.

Pairs with: Steamed rice, Idli, Masala dosa, Papad.

Storage: Keeps 3 days refrigerated and tastes even better the next day. Loosen with water when reheating, as it thickens.

Nutrition

Per serving (about 1 cup)

Calories
190
Protein
9 g
Carbs
28 g
Fat
5 g
Fiber
7 g
Sugar
5 g
Sodium
470 mg

Notable micronutrients: Folate, Iron, Vitamin A

Estimated using standard ingredient data. Values vary with brands and substitutions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What vegetables go in sambar?

Almost anything sturdy: drumsticks (the classic), pumpkin, bottle gourd, carrot, okra, eggplant, shallots, and tomato. A mix of two or three is plenty; drumstick and shallot is a beloved combination.

Can I use a different lentil?

Toor (pigeon pea) dal is traditional and gives the right creamy body. Masoor dal works in a pinch but cooks softer and tastes a little different. Avoid whole lentils that hold their shape.

What is sambar powder?

A roasted, ground spice blend — typically coriander seeds, dried red chilies, chana dal, fenugreek, and more. Freshly made is wonderful, but a good packaged South Indian sambar powder makes excellent sambar.

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