Ratna Cafe Style Sambar – How to make Ratna Cafe sambar – Video Recipe
This recipe is purely a genius from my friend Bhavani Ganesan. She shared this recipe in a forum and I had to immediately try it. Everyone who has lived in Chennai for sometime would love the sambar idli from Ratna Cafe. The idlis that are dunked in sambar and topped with a spoonful of ghee. The soft idli, the flavorful sambar are all now food memories for me.
She describes this recipe as “So simple and tasty!!!” She has a great memory of her childhood that’s associated with this sambar and this is her story. This story is the one with her uncle, Maama – Mr. Srinivasan. He worked with the Pallavan transport corporation. “When we were on vacations at Triplicane mama’s house, every morning, mama’s tenant, who was one of the staffs at the Cafe would take us to the restaurant early morning around 5 o’ clock. Maama was doing night shifts as a cashier and we would go with the tenant uncle to the cafe and wait for him. Maama would join us at about 6.30 in the morning. Till then, I would be sitting in the kitchen watching all the action live. There was a big stone mill used for grinding the masalas. The place was filled with fragrant roasted chillies, coriander seeds, browned lentils etc… They were glistening as they were roasted in copious amounts of oil and ghee and the kitchen was hot and fragrant. The cut veggies, fresh shredded coconut, onions, tomatoes all were lined up in huge vessels. There was a person designated for crushing tomatoes by hand. It was a sight to watch. We were given our share of raw tomatoes for snacking too. The taste of country tomatoes is something that i remember very vividly. They are my sweet memories. Tamarind was never added in their sambar.”
Here is a picture of Bavani Ganesan with her maama. Her maama is differently abled. He was one of the victims of polio.
Here is how to do Ratna Cafe Style Sambar – How to make Ratna Cafe sambar
First we need to make a Sambar Masala. Let the smell of fragrant roasted spices waft your kitchen.
Take a heavy pan and add in a teaspoon of ghee. Add in the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) and urad dal. Fry for a couple of minutes until the seeds and lentils are well roasted and the urad dal is golden. Add in dessicated coconut and fry till the coconut is nice and golden. Switch off the flame and set aside to cool.
Take a mixie grinder jar and add in the roasted spices mixture. Add in the onion, tomato, green chilli, turmeric powder, chilli powder, jaggery, salt and asafoetida. The original recipe uses compound asafoetida. I have used Asafoetida powder (perungayam) as that’s what I had. Add in quarter cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
Take a pressure cooker and add in the cleaned and washed toor dal and moong dal. Add 2 cups of water. Cook for 4 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to be released naturally. Set aside.
Take a pressure cooker and add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in half cup of water. Add in the curry leaves. Add in the veggies. Add in the cooked dal mixture. Add in the ground masala. Cover the cooker and cook for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to be released naturally. Set aside. Sambar is almost ready. If the sambar is very thick at this stage, add a cup of hot water to thin the sambar.
Now lets do the tempering.
Heat ghee in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Remove from heat immediately and add it to the sambar.
Serve Sambar with soft idlis and top it with chopped onions.
Here is the Video of the recipe. Hope you like it.
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 4 dried red chillies
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- ½ teaspoon urad dal
- ½ medium sized onion, chopped
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida
- ¼ cup dessicated coconut
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1//4 teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon jaggery
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup water to grind
- ¼ cup toor dal
- ¼ cup yellow moong dal
- 2 cups water
- 3 tomatoes, chopped
- ½ cup water for final cooking
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1 drumstick, chopped
- (Add veggies of your choice in your kitchen)
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- ¼ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- Take a heavy pan and add in the ghee. Add in the dried red chillies, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) and urad dal. Fry for a couple of minutes until the seeds and lentils are well roasted and the urad dal is golden. Add in dessicated coconut and fry till the coconut is nice and golden. Switch off the flame and set aside to cool.
- Take a mixie grinder jar and add in the roasted spices. Add in the onion, tomato, green chilli, turmeric powder, chilli powder, jaggery, salt and asafoetida. Add in quarter cup of water and grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Take a pressure cooker and add in the cleaned and washed toor dal and moong dal. Add 2 cups of water. Cook for 4 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to be released naturally. Set aside.
- Take a pressure cooker and add in the chopped tomatoes. Add in ½ cup of water. Add in the curry leaves. Add in the veggies. Add in the cooked dal mixture. Add in the ground masala. Cover the cooker and cook for 2 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to be released naturally. Set aside. Sambar is almost ready.
- Now lets do the tempering.
- Heat ghee in a pan until hot. Add in the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let it splutter. Remove from heat immediately and add it to the sambar.
I am happy that i tried this receipe( 4 times in last 2 months) and it has come out good everytime. The measurements and the process is accurate. I did use small onions( i simply love the taste of small onions) and its awesome. The different tastes, flavours of all the ingredients magically come together to create that “out of world” taste of triplicane rathna cafe…. thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe which made my family acknowledge that i am a good cook.
Thank you!
The taste was heavenly ….amazing recipe
Thank you!
I love all your recipes. Tried this sambhar and it was delicious👌🏻 and Yummy with mini idly topped with ghee😋. Keep posting such recipes and good luck 👍🏻
Thank you so much!
Absolutely delicious sambar!!
all your recipies come out so well.. .so I am just going to appreciate the photographs and your blog in general!!
there are loads of other blogs other there, but yours is very friendly and easy to follow!! the pics are great!! its amazing that you put in so much effort to give us quality recipes, I say this coz know how difficult it Is get the right pics at the right time – eg. tempering. So glad to be following your recipes 🙂
Thank you so much for your kind words. Means a lot to me. Thank you!
Hi,
It’s very rare for me to comment on a blog though I keep trying recipes online..I stumbled upon ur blog 4 days ago while searching something n so far I tried 4 recipes n all were superb.
I made this sambhar today n we loved it..keep posting more south recipes.
Thank u
Thank you so much!
Ma’am. Thank you very for sharing this lovely recipe. I have been a fan of Rathna Cafe Sambar Idly ever since I first tasted it in 1999. I feel that two more ingredients will improve this recipe. The small sambar onions to be added along with other vegetables and finely chopped coriander leave garnishing. And the tomatoes should be the juicy country variety (naatu thakkali) and not the thick skinned hybrid (bengaluru) variety.
I Became chef now, After watching recipe. Last week i made Ratna Cafe Sambar. its came out well and delicious. Thanx for the post.
Thank you so much.
Hi Kannamma,
I love your recipes and wanted to say I love this story behind the recipe. Rarely do recipes come alive like this with a story; a memory and the vivid Chennai I grew up in:)
I will look forward to a cookbook from you and hope that you will continue to embellish recipes with some stories that read like a travelogue/novel in their own right.
Thank you,
S
Thank you so much S. Cookbook- someday ! Thanks a lot!
Mam, I have a small doubt. In rathna café sambar, as I have personally experienced, it’s authentic taste is hugely derived from the tasty uncut shallots (small onions) and it seems you were suggesting bellary vengayam. Please clarify me on this. And correct me if I am wrong.
You are right Hasif. I too have the same doubt. Let us wait and see what Kannamma Ma’am has to say.
This is a recipe that was passed on to me. Have you tried it yet? I am sure you will like it. If you feel shallots is what makes for the flavor, please free to use shallots.
Tried this today and it came out great.. perfect taste and flavourful.. loved it..thanks for the recipe..
Thanks for trying! Glad you liked it!
In the print section you have not mentioned the quantity of Onions to be added. Whether it is sambar vengayam or Bellary vengayam.
Its Bellary vengayam.
Tried it for dinner.. turned out wel..ur blog s awesome.. keep going
Thank you Dhurga!
This is by far the BEST Sambhar I have ever made. I’m glad I tried it. Thanks a ton for this amazing recipe. And thanks for making me feel like a Chef. 🙂
Thank you so much Umanandhini!
I tried it yesterday with ragi idli. Came out very well.
Thank you
Thank you Aparna. Really glad that you liked the sambar.
Dear Madam , Thank you very much for the receipe. My parents especially my mother liked it very much. She passed away last week. Hours before her death , she told my neighbor’s and my younger brother who was away from home that my son makes excellent sambar. The credit goes to you for helping me out to make my mother happy. Thought of sharing this with you.
I am really sorry about losing your mom Siva. Its devastating for me to even read it. You must have been a good son and took care of her well. She is watching you and am sure is very proud of you! Hope god gives you strength to move on. Lots of love. Suguna
Hello Suguna, Tried this sambhar today. It was really delicious. Kids loved it 🙂
Thank you so much. Really glad that you liked the recipe.
Can’t believe that Sambar does not have tamarind !
You should try it. Its surprising.
wow I didnt realize there is no tamarind.. cant wait to try..
Dear sugu sis.,
Vanakkam. Made Ratna cafe sambar. Tasted yummy. Kudos to you for your efforts to get authentic recipe. I have heard stories about Ratna cafe. Good tat we get to know the recipe now. Keep going.?
Thank you so much Andal!
Hello Suguna,
Congrats on maintaining such a useful site…
Just needed some clarity on the above recipe.
In the masala section 1 tsp ghee is mentioned. Should we roast the spices in ghee or oil? Because under instructions you have mentioned that oil has to be added for roasting the spices.
Thanks in advance..
Thanks Sumitra for pointing out. Its ghee.
This recipe turned out very well.It was a good match for the murugal dosai.thanks a lot for posting this recipe.
Tried this recipe last night. Taste is good but found it too thick. I had to add 2 cups of water to thin it out.
Can’t remember if it’s exactly or even close to Ratna Cafe’s where I ate last in 1970s to early 80s.
My wife enjoyed the idlis dunked in it. Guess that’s what matters in the end.
Looks yummy. Does this Sambar go well with rice?
Hi Kannamma.
I hv just started following your site.Am a great fan of your blog and really admire your talents and patience.i am proud of my cookery skills and hardwork too(:.But after seeing your work there goes the saying கற்றது Calculator அளவு கல்லாதது Computer அளவு. Cannot match with you but learning from you.Pray you are showered with lots of energy and inspiration to cook n blog.Keep rocking.
Thank you so much.
Hi Suguna, Thanks. I tried ur Annaporna hotel sambar yesterday. Awesome!! . I always wanted to know this style sambar recipe.. I have not tasted from there. But it was really good!! Keep posting..
Bincy.
Thank you Bincy.
Hi Suguna,
I just have become a fan of your site. Very precise details & clear videos. Keep up the good work !!I would like to know what brand is that grinder which you use?? Seems like it can grind even smaller amounts quiet well. And also I was curious to know why, you did not mix the ingredients before closing the cooker .?
Bincy.
Thank you so much Bincy. Thank you so much for trying out! Really glad you liked it. I use a panasonic mixer grinder. I did not mix the ingredients as the masalas might get burnt sometimes.