Coconut sambar is a simple delicious and comforting sambar made with cooked dal, a mix of vegetables, fresh coconut paste and a flavourful tempering. The addition of coconut gives the sambar a creamy, rich texture and a mild sweetness. This sambar perfectly pairs with tiffin items like idli, dosai, pongal, medu vadai or can be served for lunch with hot steamed rice, potato fry and appalam.
Coconut Sambar
This is a sambar recipe which i make occasionally. It is a kind of different one because of the addition of coconut in this. It taste really really good and this is a kind of thick sambar recipe and goes great with rice, idli, dosa or anything you name it.
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What I really love about this recipe is how simple and flexible it is. I can use any vegetables I have in the kitchen, with a hint of coconut sweetness and turn the sambar into a flavourful, filling and satisfying meal. Sambar is a staple dish and I make this at least twice or thrice in a week. It’s a dish that I keep coming back to, again and again. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, this coconut sambar is always a hit !
About Coconut Sambar
Sambar is one of the most loved and traditional recipes of South India, which is made with cooked lentils ( dal ), a variety of vegetables and is tempered with flavourful seasoning of mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida.
Sambar is a versatile recipe that you can make with any vegetables of your choice like drumstick, carrot, pumpkin, potato, okra, ridge gourd, ash gourd or even a plain onion sambar also tastes great.
This version of coconut sambar is very popular in South India, especially in Tamilnadu and Kerala. The base is sambar, where toor dal is cooked until soft, then simmered with cooked vegetables, tamarind, and spice powders or sambar masala powder. To add a unique flavour and rich texture to the base, coconut paste is added. It will then turn into a very mildly spiced and creamy sambar. The vegetables added in sambar like carrot, beans, cucumber and ladies finger ( okra ) adds their nutritious taste and texture, which makes this sambar even more wholesome and flavourful.
This coconut sambar pairs perfectly with idli, dosai, pongal, upma, medu vadai, and rice, making it a versatile and comforting meal during any time of the day.
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Ingredients
Toor dal : Toor dal gives sambar a thick and creamy texture. I have cooked and mashed toor dal to make the base of the sambar. You can also add a mix of both toor and moong dal.
Shallots and Tomatoes : Shallots / sambar onion gives the authentic taste and mild sweetness to the sambar. Instead, you can also add regular big onions. Tomato is added for tanginess. Both tomato and onions help to form the base of the sambar.
Green chillies : Green chilli adds the spice and heat to the sambar. You can even add dried red chillies while tempering.
Vegetables : I have added vegetables like potato, carrot, beans, cucumber, ladies finger to the sambar. This mix of vegetables makes the sambar more nutritious and healthy.
Tamarind pulp : Add tamarind pulp or tamarind paste to balance the flavours.
Jaggery powder : A pinch of jaggery powder is added to balance the sour and spicy flavours of the sambar.
Spices : I have added red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder. This adds warm aromatic and spice flavor to the sambar. You can also substitute with store bought or homemade sambar powder.
Coconut : Grated coconut is blended into a smooth paste. This coconut paste adds a thick and creamy texture to the sambar. It improves the taste of regular sambar with a hint of tropical sweetness.
Seasoning : Tempering ingredients like mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida are tempered in oil and added to the sambar. It gives the authentic aroma and a burst of flavours.
Coriander leaves : Handful of coriander leaves added at the end to give fresh earthy aroma and flavour.
Stepwise Pictures
1)Take your ingredients.
2)Cook toor dal in pressure cooker for 4 whistle.
3)Mash it slightly and set aside.
4)take coconut in a blender and make it into a smooth puree.
5)Set this aside.
6)Heat oil in a pan. Add in tempering ingredients and let them sizzle.
7)Add in a pinch of asafoetida and let them sizzle.
8)Add in sliced onions and green chillies.
9)Saute them for a min.
10)Add in tomatoes and saute for a min.
11)Add in vegetables and mix well.
12)Season with salt and sugar. You can add jaggery too, just a little.
13)Add in spice powders.
15)Saute this for 5 minutes.
16)Pour in water and mix well.
17)Add in tamarind water and mix well.
18)Cover and cook on medium heat.
19)Add in boiled dal.
20)Mix well.
21)Add in ground coconut.
22)Mix this well and cook for few more minutes on low.
23)Now sambar is done.
24)Finally add in coriander leaves.
25)Serve.
Expert Tips
- The vegetables should be cooked soft and tender, not mushy.
- Add a pinch of turmeric powder and a teaspoon of oil while pressure cooking dal.
- Use freshly grated coconut for the rich taste and texture.
- Add tempering at the end of cooking.
- Add a spoon of ghee while serving for a rich aroma.
- The flavour of sambar deepens over time, so make it ahead and rest it for 30 minutes before serving.
Storage & Serving
Store the leftover sambar in an airtight container. It can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days. Reheat gently using the stovetop or in a microwave oven. Add a splash of water to adjust the consistency.
Serve the coconut sambar with hot piping idli, dosai, pongal or with hot steamed rice along with sides of potato fry, yam fry, vazhakkai fry or fish fry and appalam. Add a dollop of ghee while serving with rice.
FAQ
Q. What other vegetables can I add to the coconut sambar ?
You can use any variety of vegetables like carrot, pumpkin, ash gourd, ridge gourd, beans, okra, potato, spinach, radish and many more. The recipe is so versatile you can make sambar with whatever you have in the kitchen.
Q. Which dal is best for making sambar ?
Traditionally sambar is made with toor dal. Some may use moong dal or masoor dal for making sambar. Always use good quality and unpolished lentils for best taste and texture.
Q. Can I add sambar masala powder ?
Yes you can add homemade or store bought sambar masala powder instead of red chilli and coriander powder.
Q. Can I make sambar without tamarind ?
Tamarind is added for its tangy flavour. Instead, you can add extra 1 tomato, or a spoon of lemon juice.
📖 Recipe Card
Coconut Sambar Recipe (Thengai Sambar)
Coconut sambar is a simple delicious and comforting sambar made with cooked dal, a mix of vegetables, fresh coconut paste and a flavourful tempering. The addition of coconut gives the sambar a creamy, rich texture and a mild sweetness. This sambar perfectly pairs with tiffin items like idli, dosai, pongal, medu vadai or can be served for lunch with hot steamed rice, potato fry and appalam.
Equipment
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Cooking pot
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Blender
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Pressure cooker
Ingredients
For Cooking Dal
- ½ cup Toor Dal
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 1.5 cup Water
For Tempering
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- 1 teaspoon Split White Urad Dal
- 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- 2 sprig Curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon Asafoetida
Vegetables to Use
- 1 medium Potato peeled and cubed
- 1 medium Carrot chopped
- 6 no Green Beans chopped
- 1 cup Cucumber peeled & chopped
- 2 no Ladies Finger chopped
For Sambar
- 1 large Onions peeled & sliced
- 2 slit Green Chillies
- 1 large Tomatoes chopped
- 2 tablespoon Tamarind Pulp
- 2 teaspoon Salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon Sugar or Jaggery
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Powder
- 2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ¼ cup Coriander leaves chopped finely
For Grinding
- ½ cup Coconut grated
- ½ cup Water
Instructions
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Cook dal with turmeric and water in a pressure cooker for 4 whistle. Mash well and set aside.
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Heat oil in a pan, add all tempering ingredients and let them sizzle.
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Add in onions, chillies and tomatoes mix well. Now add in all the veggies and toss well. Sprinkle little salt and sugar. Mix well. Add in the spice powders and mix well.
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Pour in water, tamarind water and mix well. Cook till the veggies are done.
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Add in dal and ground coconut mixture . Mix well and simmer for few more mins. Add in coriander leaves and mix well. serve.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingsCalories: 163kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.01gSodium: 818mgPotassium: 441mgFiber: 6gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 2250IUVitamin C: 29mgCalcium: 58mgIron: 2mg
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