Simple and tasty vendakkai sambar recipe made with the addition of store-bought sambar powder. Simple everyday South Indian Tamil-style sambar recipe.
We are making a basic and tasty Vendakkai Sambar in this simple recipe series. This is my mom’s recipe for sambar and it is one of my favorites. She happily used store-bought sambar powder for this recipe; it works well every time. She used the brands Annapoorna and Sakthi.
We used to have this for breakfast usually with idli or dosai and this would be packed for lunch along with rice. The roasted ladies’ finger soaked in sambar is really tasty. Instead of ladies’ finger, you can use any veggies of your choice.
Here are the things you can buy online for making this recipe
Carote Non-Stick Kadai https://amzn.to/3Agdj88
Bergner Tri-ply pressure Cooker Pan https://amzn.to/3S5ksxP
Sambar Powder https://amzn.to/3I3rFel
Here is the video of how to make Vendakkai Sambar
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Vendakkai Sambar
Simple and tasty vendakkai sambar recipe made with the addition of store-bought sambar powder. Simple everyday South Indian Tamil-style sambar recipe.
- Total Time: 30m
- Yield: 4–5 servings 1x
Ingredients
For Roasting Ladies Finger
1 tablespoon Indian sesame oil
250 grams ladies finger
Other Ingredients
1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 dried chilli
1 green chilli
1 sprig curry leaves
1/3 cup onions, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon sambar powder
1/2 teaspoon jaggery
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 marble-sized tamarind
1/2 cup hot water
1.25 cup water (divided)
2 sprigs coriander leaves
For Cooking Toor Dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon Indian sesame oil
2 cups water
Instructions
Roasting the ladies finger – Heat oil in a pan and add the diced ladies finger. Roast on a medium flame until golden. It will take about 5-6 minutes. Once roasted and the ladies finger is slightly brown all over, remove from the pan and set aside to cool.
In the same pan add a teaspoon of oil. Add the fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, dried red chilli, and green chilli. Add a sprig of fresh curry leaves and saute for a few seconds. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
Add the diced onions, tomatoes, and salt. Mix well to combine. Cover the pan with a lid and cook on a low flame till the tomatoes are mushy. It should take about 3-4 minutes. Once the tomatoes are mushy, add the coriander powder, sambar powder, jaggery, and asafoetida. Saute for a few seconds.
Add the tamarind pulp and little water. (Soak the tamarind in hot water for 20 minutes. Squeeze the tamarind to extract the pulp. Discard the seeds and the pith.) Cook for five minutes.
Add the roasted ladies’ finger and the cooked dal
( Here is how to cook the dal – Add the washed dal along with turmeric powder, oil, and water to a pressure cooker. Cook for 10 minutes or 5 whistles in a pressure cooker. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure to settle. Open and gently mash the dal.)
Add the remaining water to adjust the consistency of the sambar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.
Our sambar is ready.
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 20m
Hello Suguna, I love Vendakkai and South Indian recipes with Vendakkai. However, my husband cannot consume Tamarind. Would you please suggest a substitute for it ? Perhaps aamchur ? OR Lemon ?
Thank you so much.
You can omit the tamarind and use tomatoes (country variety thats sour)
Lovely heartwarming recipe. Thank you!
Thank you!
Tasty vendakkai sambar recipe! Adding jaggery will definitely bring out a special taste. Thank you for sharing!!
Thank you!