Udupi Sambar
A mildly sweet-sour lentil and vegetable stew flavoured with a distinctive coconut-jaggery spice base, the signature sambar of Udupi's Krishna temple kitchens.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 150 kcal
Equipment
- •Pressure cooker
- •Heavy pot
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 150 kcal
- fat
- 5 g
- carbs
- 20 g
- fibre
- 6 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 150 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pressure cook the toor dal with turmeric until soft. Mash it lightly.
- 2
Boil the mixed vegetables in tamarind water with salt until just tender.
- 3
Dry roast coriander seeds, fenugreek and dried red chillies. Grind with grated coconut and a little water into a smooth paste.
- 4
Add the cooked dal and ground coconut paste to the simmering vegetables.
- 5
Stir in the jaggery. Simmer for 8-10 minutes until the flavours combine and the sambar thickens slightly.
- 6
Heat ghee (clarified butter) in a small pan. Fry mustard seeds and curry leaves until they pop.
- 7
Pour this sizzling spice mixture over the sambar. Serve hot.
Chef's tips
Roasting the spices lightly before grinding deepens the flavour without turning bitter. Balance the jaggery and tamarind together for that classic mellow Udupi taste.
Ingredient substitutions
- jaggery → a pinch of sugar if jaggery is unavailable
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stove, adding a little water as it thickens.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Skipping the coconut, which strips the sambar of its distinctive Udupi character.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Udupi Sambar?
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