This sambar made with Pasi Paruppu / moong dal is so light on the stomach and very easy to digest. As its so good and so easy to digest, you will find a version of this sambar in almost all the tamil kitchens all the time. Especially pasi paruppu sambar is what you will be made to eat when you are pregnant, nursing, or when you have aged people at home who want to eat light food. If you are down with flu or tired from work, then this sambar is what you should be making as its very light and very healthy. Here is how to do it. There is no tamarind used in this sambar and its so easy to make this recipe.
Take a bowl and add in the washed moong dal. Add in the chopped onion, tomatoes, curry leaves and vegetables of your choice. I added carrots, brinjal and yellow pumpkin today. You can add whatever you have in your fridge. Add 2 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Not more than that. You want the dal to have a little texture. If you cook moong dal for a long time, it will become slimy and mushy and the sambar wont have the right consistency. So do not overcook your lentils. After the 2 whistles, switch off the flame and allow the cooker to release its pressure naturally. Set aside.
Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds when the oil is hot. Add in the cumin seeds and the fenugreek (vendhayam) seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the asafoetida (perungayam). Add 1/2 a cup of water to the pan. After adding the water, add in the sambar powder and turmeric powder. If you don’t have home made sambar powder, no worries. Any store bought sambar powder will do. Add in the salt. Let it cook for 3 minutes so the masala powders gets fully cooked.
Add in the boiled lentil mixture and mix well. If you think the sambar is too thick, then add 1/2 a cup of hot water to the pan. Add only if you think its really necessary. Let it simmer on low flame for a couple of minutes. The dal will have a nice texture and should not be mushy. Add in the coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
Serve the pasi paruppu sambar hot with south Indian tiffin items.
- ⅓ cup split moong dal (paasi paruppu)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- 2 cups vegetables of your choice
- (I used 1 carrot, 1 brinjal and ½ cup of yellow pumpkin)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- a big pinch of asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon sambar powder
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped
- Take a pressure cooker and add in all the ingredients listed under Lentils and Veggies. Add 2 cups of water and cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Switch off the flame and allow the cooker to release its pressure naturally. Set aside.
- Heat sesame oil in a pan and add in the mustard seeds when the oil is hot. Add in the cumin seeds and the fenugreek (vendhayam) seeds. Let the seeds splutter. Add in the asafoetida (perungayam). Add ½ a cup of water to the pan. After adding the water, add in the sambar powder and turmeric powder. Add in the salt. Let it cook for 3 minutes so the masala powders gets fully cooked.
- Add in the boiled lentil mixture and mix well. If you think the sambar is too thick, then add ½ a cup of hot water to the pan.
- Let it simmer on low flame for a couple of minutes. Add in the coriander leaves and switch off the flame.
radhika says
May 30, 2018 at 9:45 pmHi Suguna,
I keep coming back to this one. Love it!! Like all your other recipes I have tried. If I want to try out something new, I first check your site..thank you for sharing your talent and hard work with the world.
Suguna Vinodh says
May 31, 2018 at 12:22 pmThank you.
Cheryl says
April 17, 2018 at 3:53 amJust had to say this today. This is the third time I’m making this sambar and each time my daughter polished off two bowls of it in quick succession. We now call this the ‘toddler sambar’ at home. Thank you for this recipe!
Suguna Vinodh says
April 17, 2018 at 4:15 pmThank you Cheryl!
Gowri says
April 16, 2018 at 12:09 amHi Suguna . I have always failed to impress my better half when it comes to Moong Dal recipe until I found this recipe of yours . Made this one for a simple Saturday night dinner . I paired this sambar with super soft Idli ( Again recipe of yours ) .Thank you so much . Your blog is my Go-to for any traditional recipe đ
Suguna Vinodh says
April 16, 2018 at 12:33 amThank you so much!
Priya says
January 11, 2018 at 4:12 amHi naan innaki try panni paarthen.migavum arumaiyaana suvai. naan unga puli kulambu variety’s paarthu than nalla kathukitten adhuku munnadi correct a puli evalavu podananumnu teriyadhu.thank s for wonderful recipes. Priya from uk
Suguna Vinodh says
January 11, 2018 at 1:53 pmThank you!
Simon says
October 7, 2017 at 2:58 amHi,
Thank you for the recipe, great stuff. Question: how does ‘pressure cooker for 2 whistles’ convert into time and pressure setting, is it high pressure for 20 mins?
Thanks
Simon
Suguna Vinodh says
October 7, 2017 at 12:19 pmI am not used to western pressure cookers. Sorry I am unable to comment on the same.
NISHA says
February 10, 2017 at 2:33 pmHi suguna,
Pasi paruppu sambar was really very tasty and comes out good..All my family members are like the sambar especially my husband and thank you for the wonderful dish..
Suguna Vinodh says
February 10, 2017 at 9:49 pmThank you Nisha.
Priya says
January 8, 2017 at 9:07 amThis one was super easy and came out yummm….one sitting, all gone! Awesome! Thanks đ
Suguna Vinodh says
January 8, 2017 at 10:56 amThank You Priya!
Gayatri says
March 27, 2016 at 3:57 pmHi Suguna,
I love your blog and easy-to-make recipes. I have a question about this. My veggies did not cook well (and seemed undercooked) when I pressure cooked them with the payatham parupu. The next time I made, I cooked the vegetables separately and the parupu separately and followed the rest of the recipes and it tasted yum. Do you have any idea why cooking the veggies and the lentils together was such a disaster for me ?
Also, can you add a recipe for thakkali kootu (if you don’t already have one) ?
Thanks !
Suguna Vinodh says
March 27, 2016 at 4:43 pmHard veggies may take longer time to cook like drum stick, beans etc..
Ravi says
February 5, 2016 at 8:37 pmSuguna, we call this poricha (poritha) kozhambu. Yes, this is definitely a comfort food. We usually top it with a seasoning of vadagam.
sari says
February 4, 2016 at 12:35 pmHi, pics are awesome. Whenever I moong dhal, it always turns out slimy. I will try to do it this way next time. No tamarind for this sambar.
Suguna Vinodh says
February 4, 2016 at 12:45 pmYes Sari. No tamarind is used for this sambar. One of the easiest and tastiest dals to make.