South Indian sambar powder recipe 2 versions, 2 recipes. Grind your own universal masala powder that can be used for all curry, kootu and of course Sambar and for all south Indian curries and gravies.
This is a long time pending post. I have got many requests to post sambar powderrecipe that I use in most of my cooking. Have ignored those, but its high time I share this as a post.
This is very very useful and handy for the preparation of everyday sambar and other dishes. I make a paruppu rasam too with this powder.
Jump to:
- Sambar
- Kuzhambu
- Sambar powder recipe
- Method
On our daily basis in our day to day life, we call it as milagai thool, we call the pure chilli powder as vara milagai thool which means plain red chilli powder.
I would say our sambar powder is a universal curry powder. I use it (very very little) for an extra punch in my Biryani and Paneer butter masala too.
Some may find it weird, but it lends a great flavour to these. After all this is nothing but mainly dhaniya (coriander seeds) and red chillies, which we use separately in other recipes, so I replace those with sambar powder.
Many of us don’t know the multi purpose use of it, but I find it very very very useful to me. And always treasure this when MIL and mom gives it when ever I visit them.
And not to mention about the bucks we save by grinding this bulk and use. When we buy store bought sambar powder, its expensive if we compare to this method.
My mom and MIL both have their own recipe for sambar powder. Both are excellent on its own way, I will never say this is better than that.
And obviously, both of them follow different method to make sambar, not big difference, only the ingredient ratio is a little bit different.
Few of my relatives and friends have asked for the recipe of this sambar powder, so here is the most treasurable sambar powder recipe. Both Mom’s version and MIL’s Version.
Sambar
- Keerai sambar
- vendakkai sambar
- Mango sambar
- Broad beans sambar
- Cluster beans sambar
Kuzhambu
- Kariveppilai kuzhambu
- Kondakadalai kuzhambu
- Mochakottai kuzhambu
- Poondu kuzhambu
- Vathal kuzhambu
- Karamani kuzhambu
Sambar powder recipe
Recipe Cuisine: Indian | Recipe Category: Condiments
Prep Time: 30 mins | Processing time: 15 mins | Can be used for: 6 months
Ingredients
Red chillies (long red variety) - ¼ kg
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) - ½ kg
Turmeric (long variety, we call it as virali manjal) You can use powder too - 50 gm
Channa dal - 50 gm
Toor dal - 100 gm
Pepper (black,whole) - 50 gm
Jeera - 25 gm
Fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) - 50 gm
Mustard (roasted) Optional - 1 tblsp
Rice (raw rice) Optional - 1 tbslp
Method
- First sun dry all the ingredients, chilli separately and all other ingredients separately.
- Then grind them in the mill (or mixer in batches) to a fine powder.
- Next, spread in clean broad plates or food safe papers, to cool down and stores in airtight containers.
- One large containder for bulk storage and one small in which you can transfer weekly for everyday use. By that way, even if we touch it with wet hands, it will get over soon and the large container sambar powder is saved.
- This can be used upto 5 months or even an year, depending upon how much we use. For kootu and poriyals for serving 4, add 1 teaspoon heaped while cooking the vegetables. For sambar serving 5-6, add 2 & ½ to 3 teaspoon of heaped sambar powder.
Sambar powder recipe (Mom’s version)
Red chillies (long red variety) - ¼ kg
Coriander seeds (Dhaniya) - ¼ kg
Turmeric (long variety, we call it as virali manjal) You can use powder too. - 50 gm
Channa dal - 50 gm
Toor dal - 50 gm
Pepper (black,whole) - 50 gm
Jeera - 20 gm
Fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) - 50 gm
Same like MIL, my mom also sun dries these ingredients and grinds in the mill and stores in bulk. Only few changes in my mom and MIL’s version, mainly the coriander seeds ratio, my mom uses chilli and coriander seeds both in equal ratio and skips mustard and rice.
Those are my MIL’s touch to her sambar powder. My mom’s sambar powder is needed less as chilli ratio is more in this, so only 1 & ½ teaspoon of sambar powder for serving 5 person, she uses 4-5 green chillies for sambar while frying onions..
For poriyals and kootu, she adds only ¾th spoon of sambar powder.
The moment when they bring the sambar powder ground in the mill freshly and spreads for cooling, the whole house smells great!
Which talks about the quality of the sambar powder.
Notes:
- Do not use wet hands while handling the sambar powder, always use clean spoons.
- Adding channa dal more in the above recipe will make the sambar overflow while boiling.
