Sambhar Powder Recipe - How to Make at Home

Sambhar is a vegetable stew, a staple to South Indian cuisine. It is prepared using aromatic spices, tamarind pulp, local spices, vegetables, and lentils, tempered with curry leaves and dried red chili. Sambhar is typically enjoyed with rice, idli, and a variety of dosas. It is safe to say that the South Indian thali is incomplete without this nutritious stew. Sambhar is the perfect side dish for many South Indian and Marathi meal preparations.

Different types of sambhars are enjoyed in Indian, Sri Lankan, and Maldivian households. India itself has over 20 types of sambhar varieties being served in different regions of the country. Some common types of sambhars include the classic or plain sambhar, brinjal sambhar, buttermilk sambhar, Arachu Vitta sambhar, tomato sambhar, mango sambhar and more.

A key ingredient in preparing sambhar is the spice blend called sambhar powder. It is composed of coriander seeds, cumin, lentils, and locally sourced spices. In this blog, we will discuss the recipe for preparing sambhar powder at home.

Make your own sambhar powder

Making sambhar powder at home ensures quality. It is an easy process, and the homemadesambhar masala can be stored for up to 6 months in the refrigerator and for up to 3 months at room temperature.

This recipe produces 1 cup of sambhar powder, which can be used to make about 25 servings of vegetable sambhar.

Recipe:

Time Required: 15 Minutes

Method:

1. Heat a pan and add 1 ½ tbsp chana dal, 1 ½ urad dal, 1 tbsp toor dal and 10 dried red chilies. Dry and roast until dal turns golden and you can smell the aroma.
   
   

   

2. Add ¼ cup coriander seeds and ¾ tsp methi seeds to the above. Roast until coriander seeds turn crunchy, and methi seeds become aromatic and deeply roasted.
   
   

   

3. Add 2 springs of curry leaves and wait forthem to turn crispy. Methi seeds will start to darken.
   
   

   

4. Add 2 tsp cumin seeds, roast till crunchy.
   
   

   

5. The aroma will spread around the kitchen. Turn off the stove now.
   
   

   

6. Add ¼ tsp turmeric powder and 1/8 tsp hing.
   
   

   

7. Allow the spice mix to cool down.
   
   

   

8. Grind using a mixer/grinder.
   
   

   

9. Store in an airtight glass jar.
   
   

   

In case you want to prepare a larger batch of sambhar powder, roast ingredients separately. This sambhar powder can be used to make rasam as well, by just adding pepper powder to the spice blend.

Wrapping Up:

Sambhar Powder is easy to prepare and takes very little time. Owing to our busy schedules, it may still be a cumbersome process to make this spice blend at home. One can easily buy the ready spice blend from any store. There are multiple Indian brands selling sambhar masala these days, like, Everest, MDH, Surya Masale, Orika, Ashirwad and others.

Sambhar Powder is available for purchase online on the Surya Masale website. You can order online from the ease of your homes and prepare yummy sambhar in no time!