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Recipes using sambhar powder
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We either make them at home or get them from the store. Whatever the case, our food feels incomplete without these spice mixes. It also makes the food taste better!
The process to make spice mixes at home is very simple. It’s primarily roasting the spices and then grinding them.
Traditionally all the ingredients were roasted directly under the sun for a day or two and then grounded. There was no need to roast them in a pan.
Then they were milled in a flour mill instead of grinding at home. That was also because it was made in bulk for large families. This was how my Pati (grandmom) made sambhar podi.
Some of my kitchen essentials without which I cannot function areĀ Coriander Cumin Powder,Ā Milk Masala, Turmeric Powder,Ā Molagapodi, and Garam Masala.Ā
Making sambhar is truly an art and an experience. You need to carefully choose the ingredients that go into it, plan the steps and then go about making this dish.
Sambhar, a South Indian delicacy, is aĀ thick lentil-based stewĀ or chowder cooked in aĀ tamarindĀ broth along with some veggies.
It tastes best when served with rice, idli, dosa, paniyaram, and/or wada.Ā Sambar is popular inĀ South IndianĀ andĀ Sri Lankan TamilĀ cuisines. Ā
We never get it from the store but always make it at home. There are of course many variations of sambhar powder as each family has its own way of making it.
For example, we don’t add asafoetida and curry leaves to the powder. We add it when making the sambhar. Similarly, some add mustard seeds, urad dal, and coconut to this mix.
The recipe that I follow has been in our family for generations. Every next generation has learned it from the previous and we all have tried to retain the original recipe.
After mom, it has been my aunt (mom’s sister) who freshly prepares sambhar masala in bulk for us. She always sends over some whenever someone is traveling to the US.
I feel so good today for featuring a handed-down family recipe on the blog. It’s my way of preserving this Iyer-style sambhar powder recipe in this virtual world forever for generations to come.
BTW, the traditional sambhar podi and Madras curry powder that you get here in the US are not the same. Curry powder used Cayenne pepper.
Spices - Dried red chillies (Kashmiri or Bydagi variety), peppercorns, coriander seeds, and fenugreek seeds along with turmeric powder are what you will need.
They give this spice mix color, aroma, and flavor. Turmeric also works as a preservative to make this sambhar podi/masala last long.
Equipment - A nonstick pan for roasting these spices and a high powder blender to grind them finely.
This Iyer-style Sambhar powder can be used to make the traditional Sambhar, kootu, or curry. You can also use it in recipes that call for curry powder. It’s very versatile. Since this spice mix also has pepper, you can use it to make rasam as well. However, there is also a separate powder that we use for making rasam. I will share that recipe soon. Adding this sambhar masala/podi to any of these dishes will elevate the taste and make the dish more palatable. Coriander seeds give it volume along with flavor. You can also add 2 teaspoons of fennel seeds and/or garlic powder to this mix if you like that flavor in your sambhar. Ā If you live in a place that’s hot and sunny, you can also roast these ingredients directly under the sun for a day or two. Place them on a tray uncovered. Then grind them fine. This measurement yields 4 cups of sambhar powder.Ā You will just need 1-2 tablespoons of it depending on what you making. Like this recipe? Please show your love by leaving a 5-starĀ šššššrating below! You can also follow me onĀ Facebook,Ā Twitter,Ā Instagram,Ā andĀ PinterestĀ to see more delicious vegetarian and vegan recipes and what Iām getting up to.
