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Home » Recipes » Cuisine » Indian » Kerala

Tiffin Sambar ~ South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew

Published: Mar 30, 2016 · Modified: Apr 5, 2018 by Manju · This post may contain affiliate links · 16 Comments

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A deliciously spicy and tangy South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables that is Vegan and Gluten Free – Tiffin Sambar, is an easier version of the regular sambar with an ever so slight difference in taste that pairs very well with South Indian breakfast items like Dosa, Idli and Pongal, commonly referred to as Tiffin items and hence the name Tiffin Sambar!

Tiffin Sambar - South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables - Vegan and Gluten Free - www.cookingcurries.com (1)

Breaking a piece of that light and crispy dosa, that glisten from the generous ghee on it, dipping it into that little stainless steel bowl of piping hot sambar, the fragrance of which you can smell miles away from the restaurant and then one more dip into some coconut chutney. Now that is the most perfect, divine, mouthful of goodness you can ever experience. Period.

Whenever we went to those little South Indian restaurants, the sambar always intrigued me. I know it was not the dosa or the ghee in it, but it was the sambar that made all the difference. I would always finish what they served at first in that small bowl and go for seconds or even thirds sometimes. Somehow, when Amma made sambar at home, it never was the same. I never bothered to ask, as I thought it might be offensive and I might hurt her feelings by asking why her sambar was not as good as the restaurant / hotel sambar (Yup, restaurants are very commonly referred to as hotels in India). Little did I know that the restaurants served Tiffin Sambars and not the Sambar we made at home that was mainly for lunch, to go with the rice.

Tiffin Sambar - South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables - Vegan and Gluten Free - www.cookingcurries.com (3)

And then one day, I remember, my Paatti (grand mom) making sambar a little differently. I could say it was different from the way it smelt from the kitchen. She served it for breakfast with some idlis and man, oh, man! That was it!!! The Hotel Sambar!!! What? Where has this been in our household all my life??? So, Amma and Paatti always made just one type of sambar that will go with both breakfast and lunch, of course! And since there was something already planned for lunch that day, Paatti made this for breakfast, just for breakfast, she was very clear about that. She was very particular about those things. Pairings of food, what needs to be eaten when, the color of the food she makes (it has to be the same every time and that’s how she knows its perfect), the scent, everything. I was intrigued. And I wanted to taste it with rice to see what the fuss was all about. And yes, she was right. It wasn’t quite all that good. It was not bad at all, quite ok, in fact, but this sambar went really well with the dosas and idlis and the regular sambar just seemed to gel better with the rice.

So, this once uses green chillies to impart some flavor and spice. And the only vegetables used are onions, tomatoes and sometimes potatoes, nothing else.  And is mostly made using moong dal instead of toor dal or pigeon pea lentils, which gives it a softer and slightly sweeter taste. I think the switching of dals is what my Paatti came up with and that this sambar can be made with toor dal also. Another thing she does to make cooking this easier at breakfast time is to cook it all together in the pressure cooker. Usually, we cook only the lentils in the pressure cooker and cook the vegetables in the tamarind sauce separately.

Enough of the stories, here is the recipe! Hope you enjoy this very treasured recipe of my Paatti’s Smile

Tiffin Sambar - South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables - Vegan and Gluten Free - www.cookingcurries.com (2)

Tiffin Sambar – The Recipe

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup yellow moong dal
  • Key lime sized ball of tamarind
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 yellow potatoes, peeled and diced
  • 1 roma tomato, diced
  • ½ red onion, chopped
  • 8 –10 pearl onions, peeled
  • 3-4 Thai green chillies or 2 serrano chillies, slit in half lengthwise
  • 1 ½ tablespoon sambar powder
  • salt, to taste
  • ¼ cup cilantro, minced

To temper:

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon asafetida
  • 2 dried red chillies
  • 3-4 pearl onions, peeled and chopped

Method:

Rinse the moon dal under running water a few times, until the water is no longer cloudy. Soak the tamarind ball in ½ cup warm water and squeeze the pulp out of it. Strain it to a bowl and repeat with two or three more times with ½ cup water each time (water can be room temperature).

Add the moong dal, tamarind pulp, 2 cups water, potatoes, onions, pearl onions, tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder and sambar powder to a pressure cooker or a large pot. Cook till the dal becomes all mushy. If using a pressure cooker, let the pressure weight let the steam off (whistle) 3-4 times. Switch off and open once all the pressure is released. If cooking on stove top in a regular pot, it might take about 25 mins or so to be done.

Mix the sambar well and add salt. Heat the oil for tempering, add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the asafetida, curry leaves, dried red chillies and pearl onions. Once the onions have browned a little, pour this over the sambar. Garnish with minced cilantro and enjoy!

Tiffin Sambar ~ South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew

A deliciously spicy and tangy South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables that is Vegan and Gluten Free – Tiffin Sambar, is an easier version of the regular sambar with an ever so slight difference in taste that pairs very well with South Indian breakfast items like Dosa, Idli and Pongal, commonly referred to as Tiffin items and hence the name Tiffin Sambar!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Vegetarian
Cuisine: South Indian
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Author: Manju
[recipe_key]

Ingredients

  • ½ cup yellow moong dal
  • Key lime sized ball of tamarind
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 2 yellow potatoes peeled and diced
  • 1 roma tomato diced
  • ½ red onion chopped
  • 8 –10 pearl onions peeled
  • 3-4 Thai green chillies or 2 serrano chillies slit in half lengthwise
  • 1 ½ tablespoon sambar powder
  • salt to taste
  • ¼ cup cilantro minced
  • To temper:
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • 8-10 curry leaves
  • ½ teaspoon asafetida
  • 2 dried red chillies
  • 3-4 pearl onions peeled and chopped

Instructions

  • Rinse the moon dal under running water a few times, until the water is no longer cloudy. Soak the tamarind ball in ½ cup warm water and squeeze the pulp out of it. Strain it to a bowl and repeat with two or three more times with ½ cup water each time (water can be room temperature).
  • Add the moong dal, tamarind pulp, 2 cups water, potatoes, onions, pearl onions, tomatoes, green chillies, turmeric powder and sambar powder to a pressure cooker or a large pot. Cook till the dal becomes all mushy. If using a pressure cooker, let the pressure weight let the steam off (whistle) 3-4 times. Switch off and open once all the pressure is released. If cooking on stove top in a regular pot, it might take about 25 mins or so to be done.
  • Mix the sambar well and add salt. Heat the oil for tempering, add the mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add the asafetida, curry leaves, dried red chillies and pearl onions. Once the onions have browned a little, pour this over the sambar. Garnish with minced cilantro and enjoy!
Tried this recipe?Mention @Cookingcurries or tag #cookingcurries on social media. We would love to take a look and share!

Tiffin Sambar - South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables - Vegan and Gluten Free - www.cookingcurries.com (1)

Tiffin Sambar - South Indian Lentil and Tamarind Stew with Vegetables - Vegan and Gluten Free - www.cookingcurries.com (2)
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Comments

  1. Kelly @ TastingPage says

    April 06, 2016 at 4:39 pm

    We actually just got a recent in LA called Sambar. The chef is making really great, unique Indian dishes. Love the looks of your beautiful stew!

    Reply
  2. Aimee / Wallflower Kitchen says

    April 06, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    I've always wanted to make sambar. Gorgeous recipe!

    Reply
  3. Letty / Letty's Kitchen says

    April 06, 2016 at 7:50 pm

    This looks gorgeous! I need to get some tamarind. Do you use the paste?

    Reply
    • Manju says

      April 06, 2016 at 8:36 pm

      Thanks! No, I use the fresh tamarind and soak it in some warm water and squeeze out the pulp - repeat a few times. I am used to the fresh tamarind's taste, so can't bring myself to use the paste ? I would think the paste would work well also, as I have seen recipes with it but use just a little, maybe 1/2 tsp or so to begin with and then add more. You can add more even towards the end after you have tasted it all. Just let it come to a boil after you have added the tamarind paste.

      Reply
  4. Sophia, Veggies Don't Bite says

    April 07, 2016 at 10:18 am

    What a pretty dish!! I love lentils. And I spy thai chilies in there. YUM!!

    Reply
  5. Linda @ Veganosity says

    April 07, 2016 at 4:04 pm

    I'm such a savory breakfast person and this would be so good in the morning. Love the colors and flavors.

    Reply
  6. christine says

    April 08, 2016 at 6:09 am

    I'm not familiar w/ this recipe. I think I have to grab the ingredients and give it a go.

    Reply
  7. Uma Srinivas says

    April 08, 2016 at 8:45 am

    In every south Indian favorite recipe 😉 I like to try different sambar, your photos are beautiful !

    Reply
  8. Mel @avirtualvegan.com says

    April 08, 2016 at 10:04 pm

    I love the flavour of tamarind. This sounds totally delicious!

    Reply
  9. Jennifer says

    April 09, 2016 at 6:57 am

    Your recipes always look SO delicious. I can't wait to make this and try it!

    Reply
  10. linda spiker says

    April 09, 2016 at 7:50 am

    5 stars
    Just gorgeous! Pinned!

    Reply
  11. Sina @ Vegan Heaven says

    April 10, 2016 at 10:33 am

    This looks so colorful and I'm sure it's super delicious and packed with flavor! 🙂

    Reply
  12. Hauke Fox says

    April 10, 2016 at 11:03 am

    Wooow, so many flavours I have yet to discouver 😀
    This stew looks absolutely scrumptious!!

    Reply
  13. Nicole says

    April 10, 2016 at 11:24 am

    I have everything but the tamarind, so it looks like I'll be dropping by the store soon to grab some. Can't wait to try this.

    Reply
  14. Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes says

    April 11, 2016 at 1:43 am

    This looks like such a warming, delicious dish. I can't wait to give it a try! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  15. Prairie Gal Cookin says

    April 11, 2016 at 10:25 pm

    You do deliver, right?! 🙂 This looks so yummy!!

    Reply

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