This sambar powder is very fragrant and has roasted coconut powder added to it. It has the flavour of araithu vitta sambar. When a good friend Bavani Ganesan asked me to try this recipe, I immediately did and the kitchen was smelling so fragrant. She had got this recipe from an 89 year old chef and she had all nice things to say about the recipe. I am sure, once you make it, you will too!
Here are the ingredients you will need for making the sambar powder / sambar podi.
All the ingredients are roasted in a little bit of ghee and then ground. The addition of coconut makes for a very rich sambar powder. You need to grind the ingredients into a very fine powder so it kind of dissolves into a rich sauce while making sambar. You can store this recipe for upto a week at room temperature or upto three months in the freezer. Once you have this sambar powder, making sambar is a breeze.
When roasting the ingredients make sure you do not burn the lentils and the seeds. Keep sauteing all the time and keep the stove on medium heat at all times.
Hope you enjoy the video instructions.
- 4 teaspoon Toor Dal
- 2 teaspoon Urad Dal
- 2 tablespoon Peanuts
- 2 teaspoon Coriander Seeds
- ½ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds (methi)
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 1 small piece Cinnamon Stick (1 inch)
- ½ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 12 Red Chilli
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric
- ¾ teaspoon Asafoetida (Hing)
- ¼ cup Copra / Dessicated Coconut Powder
- 2 teaspoon ghee for dry roasting
- Roast toor dal and urad dal in ghee on medium flame until brown and golden. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Dry roast peanuts until nutty ( the crunchy fried peanut texture ). Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Roast the coriander seeds, fenugreek, black pepper, cumin, cinnamon and mustard in half a teaspoon of ghee until fragrant. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Roast the red chillies in half a teaspoon of ghee until fragrant. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Dry roast copra powder until slightly golden. Add in the turmeric powder and the asafoetida and briefly saute for 10 seconds. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Let all the ingredients cool to room temperature.
- Grind to a very fine powder and use within a month.
Hi Suguna,
I love cook n information in your blog is so much of help. Thank you very much. I have small confusion in your Araithu sambar recipe. Sambar recipe in Araithu sambar recipe is different from the above recipe, Could you please let me know how much quantity of this powder can be used in your Araithu sambar recipe?
You can use about 2 tablespoon!
hi suguna,
i love all your recipes i tried many of your recipes and it came out well . one doubt for what this sambar powder to be added. this sambar podi goes well with tiffin sambar or sambar for rice
Hi Subasri, I use this sambar for serving with idli or dosa. The flavour of sambar comes out really good.
Hi,
I very recently came upon your Murugal Dosa recipe on Facebook.
It caught my attention, and I visited your website. I am from Andhra and I too enjoy
cooking
I really liked your recipes and thought I should acknowledge it
All the Best and will definitely try some of your recipes
Sandhya
Thank you!
Hi Suguna,
I have a small doubt.. usually, sambar powder recipes have more or coriander powder, and less of dals, if I’m not wrong.. But here, the dals are much more than coriander, and also coconut quantity is even more than dals. Is this for instant sambar? Or is there any reason for the ratio?
One more doubt – I don’t stock coriander seeds. I have coriander powder though. Can we substitute with the powder?
Thanks a lot!
As I have written, this is a chefs recipe and I have not made any changes. It comes out very well.
Please use coriander seeds for a traditional taste.
Mam your recipe is awesome my kids love this kind of sambar please tell me mam for a family of six how much tho oral ,how much powder and tamarind to be usedz
I have given serving size in the recipes itself. Please check in sambar recipes.
hi suguna, thanks for yummy and tasty recipes. i hv one doubt in making sambar pwdr. actually i tried abv method as u mentnd…but finally i got paste format. i used little ghee only..plz suggest…
Did you use water to grind?
Signal recipes r good
Hi signal how ru I tried some recipe good n yum me keep it up
Hi Suguna, hope you are keeping well and that we have settled in Hong Kong. Just a quick question on this Sambar powder. Do you use desiccated coconut or ground coconut powder. Thanks.
Best wishes
Kamala
dessicated coconut
Thanks for the recipe! Can we use this powder for sambhar we use for rice or is this powder only for tiffin/arachu vitta sambhar?
You can use for rice too. Infact I like it for rice.
Can coconut be skipped for longer life? Can coconut powder be added just before making sambar?
You need to roast the coconut and make it into a paste and then add it to the sambar.
Hi,
Ford this need to be storedone in the fridge?
If you are not going to be using right away, please store in fridge as it has coconut and coconut tends to spoil fast.