Tiffin Sambhar | Hotel style tiffin sambhar | Idli Sambhar | Side dish for Idli Dosa

Saturday, January 10, 2015

Tiffin Sambhar | Hotel style tiffin sambhar | Idli Sambhar | Side dish for Idli Dosa

I have already posted my version of sambhar here and varutharacha sambhar here. I am a great fan of sangeetha and saravana bhavan style sambhar. It has unique flavour, so I always wanted to try it in home. When I was searching for tiffin sambhar, I got the recipe from raks kitchen and I tried it. The sambhar turns out so yummy and the aroma of the sambhar fills the home after preparing it. I am making it more often these days. Here, we go for the step by step preparation:

Final Photos updated on 21/Jan/2021

Ingredients:

Toor dal(Sambhar dal) - 1/4 cup
Shallots(small onion) - 10 to 12
Tomato - 1
Potato - 1
Green chilli - 2
Tamarind - small ball
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Powdered Jaggery - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a generous pinch
Salt - as required
Coriander leaves - few
To Temper:
Oil 2 tsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - few
To Roast & Grind:
Channa dal - 1 tbslp
Coriander seeds - 3/4 tbslp
Red chillies - 4
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the potato thoroughly. Pressure cook the dal and potato by adding turmeric powder,a pinch of salt and asafoetida. Once the pressure releases, mash the dal and peel the skin of the potato. Chop the potato into bite sized pieces.

2. Meanwhile dry roast the items under 'To roast and grind' until nice aroma comes. Grind it in a mixer to a coarse powder.

3. In a pan, add some oil and temper the items under 'To Temper'. Add the onions and saute till it turns transparent. Then add the chopped tomato, green chilli and saute it for few mins.

4.Soak the tamarind in warm water for 10 to 15 mins and extract tamarind juice from it. Add it to the tempered onion and tomato, allow it to boil. Along with this add the potato and the cooked dal. Bring it to rolling boil for 8 to 10 mins in medium flame.

5. Now add the ground sambhar powder and mix it well continuously to avoid lumps. After adding the sambhar powder it thickens faster. Hence add water accordingly. Finally add a teaspoon of jaggery and switch off the flame. Add torn curry leaves and coriander leaves. Close it with a lid and rest it for few mins before serving.

The sambar is ready to be served with idli, pongal or dosa. The ground sambhar powder gives lovely aroma and it tastes divine.

Points to remember:

Adding little jaggery gives the restaurant style taste to the sambhar. But if you don't prefer, you can skip it.
Unlike our regular sambhar, tamarind should be less for this tiffin sambhar.
You can grind and store this sambhar powder in bulk. But grinding it freshly gives nice flavour to the sambhar.