Tiffin sambar · for dosa and idli
Sambar, thin enough to pour.
The sambar served with dosa is thinner and a little sweeter than the one served with rice, because it has to soak into a crisp dosa rather than coat rice. Small onions, tamarind, toor dal and a store-bought sambar powder, measured.
What goes in
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Toor dalSplit pigeon peas. Rinse three times. | 100 g |
| Ground turmericCooked with the dal. | 1 g |
| Water for the dal | 400 ml |
| TamarindSeedless block. Or 10 g of tamarind concentrate, skipping the soak. | 15 g |
| ShallotsThe small Indian or Thai kind, peeled and left whole. Or 150 g of onion in 3 cm chunks. | 150 g |
| TomatoOne large, chopped. | 150 g |
| DrumstickMoringa pod in 6 cm pieces. Optional; the frozen kind from Indian grocers works. | 1 |
| Sambar powderAbout 2 tablespoons of a store-bought brand. | 15 g |
| SaltFine. | 10 g |
| JaggeryOr brown sugar. Balances the tamarind. | 5 g |
| Water for simmeringSome of it only goes in at the end, to thin the sambar. | 600 ml |
| Sesame oil or gheeFor the tempering. | 15 ml |
| Mustard seeds | 3 g |
| Fenugreek seedsAbout 12 seeds. More turns it bitter. | 1 g |
| Dried red chillies | 2 |
| Curry leaves | 12 |
| Asafoetida | 0.5 g |
| Coriander leavesChopped. | 10 g |
Making it
Cook the dal soft
Put the rinsed dal, turmeric and 400 ml of water in a pressure cooker. While it cooks, soak the tamarind in the 200 ml of hot water.
Pressure cooker · 4 whistles on medium heat, about 12 min, then let the pressure drop on its own
Instant Pot · High pressure, 10 min, natural release
Stovetop · covered, 40–45 min at a low simmer. Top up with water if it catchesReady whenA grain crushes to nothing between your fingers. Whisk it smooth, with no whole grains left.Make the tamarind water
After 15 minutes of soaking, squeeze the tamarind hard in the water with your fingers, then strain it and throw away the fibre. You should have about 200 ml of brown liquid.
Simmer the vegetables
In a saucepan, combine the shallots, tomato, drumstick, tamarind water, sambar powder, salt, jaggery and 300 ml of the water. Bring it to a boil, then simmer it uncovered.
Simmer · 12–15 min
Done when · a shallot is soft to the knife, and the raw smell of tamarind is goneAdd the dal and thin it
Stir in the mashed dal. Add water from the remaining 300 ml until it reaches pouring consistency, then simmer 5 minutes more so the dal and tamarind come together.
Pouring consistencyTiffin sambar coats a spoon thinly and pours like single cream. Rice sambar is thicker. The sambar thickens as it cools, so stop when it looks slightly too thin.Temper and finish
Heat the oil or ghee to about 170 °C (340 °F). Add the mustard seeds, and when they pop add the fenugreek, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida. After 10 seconds, pour it all into the sambar. Stir in the coriander and take it off the heat.
Keeps refrigerated · 3 days. It tastes better on day two
Reheat · bring back to a simmer with 50 ml of water per 500 mlWhat is the difference between tiffin sambar and regular sambar?
Tiffin sambar, served with dosa, idli and vada, is thinner and slightly sweeter, and usually uses only shallots and tomato. Sambar for rice is thicker and carries more vegetables.
Which sambar powder should I use?
Any mainstream store-bought sambar powder works at 15 g. Brands vary in heat, so taste after the simmer and add up to 5 g more if needed.
Why is my sambar sour?
Too much tamarind, or not enough time after adding it. Simmer the tamarind with the vegetables for at least 12 minutes, and balance it with jaggery 2 g at a time.