Try Our Idli Sambar Recipe! (Chennai Special Delicacy)

Idli sambar is a well-known dish. Although, it is a South Indian recipe, now people living at different terrain cook it frequently in breakfast or as a snack. Sambar is not just healthy, as it is a mix of lentils and veggies but it is well known for its special aroma.

This street food is not very spicy making it suitable for kids and old age as well. It is easy to cook at home and it is a light and healthy breakfast, as it is gluten-free. You must try this recipe at home.

1. Idli Recipe

Ingredients:

• Rice – 3 cup
• Urad Dal – 1 cup
• Fenugreek seeds – 1 tablespoon
• Salt – 1 tablespoon

Preparation:

✅ Thoroughly wash the rice and dal.

✅ Soak it overnight.

✅ Make the fine paste of rice using the grinder.

✅ Similarly, make the fine paste of urad dal and fenugreek seed.

✅ Mix the paste of dal and rice.

✅ Keep it aside for fermentation at least for 10- 12 hours in summer and 20 – 22 hours in winter.

✅ After the set period of time, check the mixture. It has become fluffy now and hence is ready to prepare the idli.

✅ Put the mixture in mould and steam it either at a stove or microwave.

✅ In case, you are steaming it on the stove then it will take around 15 – 20 minutes at medium flame and microwave will take around 5-7 minutes.

✅ Once the idli becomes fluffy and spongy, take them out in a bowl.

2. Idli Sambar Recipe

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal/Arhar Dal – 2 Cup
• Tamarind water – 2 tablespoon
• Onion – 1, chopped
• Mustard seeds – ½ Tablespoon
• Asafoetida – ¼ Tablespoon
• Sambhar Masala – 1 and a half tablespoon
• Turmeric powder – ½ tablespoon
• Red chilli – 2 pieces
• Red Chilli Powder – ½ Tablespoon
• Tomato – 1, finely chopped
• Pumpkin – 7 – 8 pieces
• Carrot – 1, finely chopped
• Drumsticks – 4-5 sticks
• Ghee – 2 tablespoon
• Curry leaves – 6-7 leaves

Preparation:

✅ Soak the lentils for 15 – 20 minutes.

✅ Wash the lentils properly; add the lentils and 3 to 3 and half cup water.

✅ You can add carrot, pumpkin, and drumsticks in the cooker itself or else follow these steps.

✅ Wait for 3-4 whistles in the pressure cooker, 1 whistle at high flame, and rest at low flame.

✅ Take a pan, add ghee. Heat it and add mustard seeds, let it crackle. Now add asafoetida. Add red chilli and curry leaves to it. Stir for 1-2 minutes

✅ Add onion cook till they get golden brown, after that add tomatoes and cook till they become tender.

✅ Now add all the vegetables. In this step, add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and sambar powder.

✅ Let it cook so that all the vegetables get soft.

✅ When they are half cooked, add tamarind water. (take 3 tablespoon water, soak some tamarind into it. Leave it for 30 minutes, separate tamarind from water. Squeeze it and remove all the pulp from it.)

✅ Cook for another 3-4 minutes.

✅ Now check the lentils in the pressure cooker, the consistency should not be very thick.

✅ If the consistency is thick, add some water and stir well.

✅ Now add lentils in the vegetable pan mix well and cook it for 3-4 minutes.

✅ Now Sambar is ready to serve, serve hot with the spongy idli.

👉 Note:

• Always use the idli rice or parboiled rice that is available in the market for idli.
• Another way of cooking sambar is that boil all the vegetables in the pressure cooker along with the lentil but you have to make the mixture of onions and tomatoes separately in a pan.
• You can make sambar powder at home as well.

Sambar Powder Recipe:

Ingredients:

• Cumin seeds – ½ Tablespoon
• Fenugreek seeds – ½ Tablespoon
• Channa Dal – 1 Tablespoon
• Coriander Seeds – ½ Tablespoon
• Dried Red Chillies – 2-3 Pieces
• Asafoetida – 2 Pinch

Roast all the ingredients, let it cool and make a powder of it using a grinder.

Follow these steps and try this delicious Idli Sambar Recipe at home.

Summary

Idli Sambar is a popular South Indian dish that is loved for its delicious combination of soft and fluffy idlis and flavorful sambar. Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy breakfast option or just want to try something new, Idli Sambar is a delicious and satisfying meal that is sure to be a hit. With its simple and straightforward ingredients, this recipe is easy to make and sure to impress. So why not give it a try and see why it has become such a beloved dish in South Indian cuisine.