Instant sambar masala is an essential spice blend made with aromatic whole spices and grains. With this spice powder, you can prepare sambar in one pot in less than 20 minutes.
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Sambar is a popular dish in southern India made with a variety of vegetables, tamarind extract, lentils and sambar masala powder. Every household has its own recipe and there are various types of sambar prepared with unique combinations of vegetables and lentils. Sambar masala powder is the key ingredient of this popular south Indian lentils curry. Check out the vegetable sambar made with this spice powder.
It is not only served over rice but with most south Indian breakfast dishes. Dosa , idli, uttapam and ven pongal are the classic dishes that are incomplete without sambar. Some people prefer it along with vegetable upma as well.
Even novice cooks can make instant sambar with this spice blend with little effort and time. The best part is that an instant sambar recipe doesn’t require cooking dal separately, so a pressure cooker is not essential. It is an ideal homemade spice blend for bachelors, travelers or kids joining the university who prefer to cook fresh Indian meals rather than relying on takeaways and restaurants.
This instant sambar mix recipe eliminates the lengthy traditional sambar process made with sambar masala that involves soaking and cooking dal and extracting tamarind pulp from the soaked tamarind.
The time-consuming part of making instant sambar with this spice blend is to prep vegetables. No soaking, no complicated processes to follow, no fuss and no mess.
It is a simple process of making a paste by combining the sambar mix with water, cooking vegetables, adding prepared sambar paste, more water, and simmering for a few minutes until the raw aroma vanishes.
Ingredients
- Whole Spices: coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds (methi seeds), mustard, black peppercorn, cloves, cassia, turmeric powder and asafoetida (rock).
- Lentils: toor dal (arhar dal/pigeon pea lentil) and chana dal (bengal gram).
- Dry Red chillies: byadgi dry red chillies and spicy red chilies. Feel free to use other variety red chillies.
- Pantry Staples: I've used sona masoori rice, but feel free to use any raw rice that you have on hand. Jaggery powder, tamarind, desiccated coconut and salt.
Find the quantities and a short video in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
How to make instant sambar mix?
Place a skillet or a pan on the stove. Add coriander seeds and dry roast over medium-low heat stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes or until they release a nice aroma.
Transfer them to a bowl and put the pan back on the stove.
Now roast toor dal for 2 minutes or until it releases the aroma and starts to turn a light golden colour.
Transfer it to the same bowl containing roasted coriander seeds. Put the pan back on the stove.
Roast chana dal stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes. Once it is aromatic, take it off the stove and transfer it to the bowl of roasted whole spices.
Now roast fenugreek seeds for a minute and put them into a bowl once they start releasing aroma. Put it in the bowl once done.
Add rice followed by cumin seeds, peppercorn and mustard. Roast until aromatic, then add cassia and cloves and roast for a couple of minutes.
Transfer them to a bowl of already roasted spices.
Now roast both varieties of red chilies separately just until they release a pungent aroma.
Put them in the bowl.
Add tamarind, roast just until it's hot and remove it from the pan and keep it in a separate plate/bowl. This is to remove the moisture from the tamarind.
Roast desiccated coconut and toast stirring regularly for 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
Remove it from the pan and put it in a bowl.
Allow all the spices to cool completely.
Add turmeric, jaggery powder, salt and mix well.
Once the spices are cooled completely, add a batch of spices to a mixie jar and grind them.
Now add tamarind to the prepared mix in the mixer jar and grind to a fine powder.
Grind spices and tamarind in batches
Store instant sambar mix in an airtight jar.
Storage
Store instant sambar masala powder in an airtight container in the kitchen cupboard or pantry away from direct sunlight and heat.
Sambar premix stays fresh for up to 3 months, later it loses its aroma and flavour.
Consider glass jars with tight lids to store sambar powder.
Most of the spices are roasted separately because of different cooking times.
Tips and Tricks
Dry roast spices over a low flame just until they are aromatic. Do not roast spices on high flame as the chances of burning or over-roasting them are high.
Byadgi chillies are used to impart a lovely colour but their heat level is minimal.
Fresh whole spices make sambar masala aromatic. So it is necessary to use fresh whole spices rather than years-old spices that could be losing their potency and aroma.
Adjust the water and quantity of sambar powder to get the desired thickness of the sambar. Having a few cups water ready helps adjust the consistency of the sambar.
Is Sambar too thin? The primary reason is not adding sufficient sambar mix. Combine a spoon of sambar mix with water to make a paste. Stir it with sambar and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Is Sambar too thick? Add a cup water to the sambar, close the lid and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
Try using asafoetida rock (solid whole asafoetida) as it's an unrefined form and imparts a unique flavour to this curry powder and enhances the taste of sambar.
I have used Himalayan pink salt. Regular salt quantity might vary.
FAQ
You could store homemade spice powder in the fridge/freezer to maintain freshness and aroma for a longer time. Put the homemade masala in a clean and dry air-tight container or ziplock bag and keep it in the fridge.
Consider having a small tight jar of sambar powder in the pantry cupboard and refilling it when required, rather than storing large quantity which would lose freshness.
Ensure the container or ziplock bags are sealed properly to prevent any moisture trap which would eventually spoil the spice blends.
More homemade spice blends
KEEP IN TOUCH
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📖 Recipe Card
Instant Sambar Powder
Video
Equipment
- Skillet/Frying Pan
- Wooden Spoon
- Spice Grinder
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250ml ; 1 Tablespoon = 15ml ; 1 Teaspoon = 5ml
- 2 Cups (or) 170 gms Coriander Seeds
- 2 Cups (or) 480 gms Toor dal/Pigeon Peas/Arhar Dal
- ⅓ Cup (or) 78 gms Chana Dal
- 2 Tablespoons (or) 25 gms Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds)
- ⅓ Cup (or) 76 gms Raw Rice
- 1 Teaspoon (or) 5 gms Black Peppercorn
- 1 Tablespoon (or) 10 gms Cumin
- 8 gms Asafoetida/Hing (rock) roughly broken
- 1 Teaspoon (or) 10 gms Mustard
- 2 inches (or) 4 gms Cassia
- 1 Teaspoon (or) 3 gms Cloves
- 1 Cup (or) 105 gms Desiccated Coconut
- 3 cups (or) 120 gms Byadgi Red Chillies
- 1 cup (or) 35 gms Spicy Red Chillies
- 1 cup (or) 104 gms Tamarind
- ¼ Cup (or) 25 gms Turmeric Powder
- ½ Cup (or) 145 gms Salt
- ¼ Cup (or) 40 gms Jaggery Powder
Instructions
- Place a skillet or a pan on the stove. Add coriander seeds and dry roast over medium-low heat stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes or until they release a nice aroma.2 Cups (or) 170 gms Coriander Seeds
- Transfer them to a bowl and put the pan back on the stove.
- Now roast toor dal for 2 minutes or until it releases the aroma.2 Cups (or) 480 gms Toor dal/Pigeon Peas/Arhar Dal
- Transfer it to the same bowl containing roasted coriander seeds. Put the pan back on the stove.
- Roast chana dal stirring regularly for 2-3 minutes. Once it is aromatic, take it off the stove and transfer it to the bowl of roasted whole spices.⅓ Cup (or) 78 gms Chana Dal
- Now roast fenugreek seeds for a minute and put them into a bowl once they start releasing aroma. Put it in the bowl once done.2 Tablespoons (or) 25 gms Fenugreek Seeds (Methi Seeds)
- Add rice followed by cumin seeds, peppercorn and mustard. Roast until aromatic, then add cassia and cloves and roast for a couple of minutes.⅓ Cup (or) 76 gms Raw Rice, 1 Teaspoon (or) 5 gms Black Peppercorn, 1 Tablespoon (or) 10 gms Cumin, 8 gms Asafoetida/Hing (rock), 1 Teaspoon (or) 10 gms Mustard, 2 inches (or) 4 gms Cassia, 1 Teaspoon (or) 3 gms Cloves
- Transfer them to a bowl of already roasted spices.
- Now roast both varieties of red chilies separately just until they release a pungent aroma.3 cups (or) 120 gms Byadgi Red Chillies, 1 cup (or) 35 gms Spicy Red Chillies
- Put them in the bowl.
- Add tamarind, roast just until it's hot and remove it from the pan and keep it in a separate plate/bowl. This is to remove the moisture from the tamarind.1 cup (or) 104 gms Tamarind
- Roast desiccated coconut and toast stirring regularly until lightly browned and fragrant.1 Cup (or) 105 gms Desiccated Coconut
- Remove it from the pan and put it in a bowl.
- Allow all the spices to cool completely.
- Add turmeric, jaggery powder, salt and mix well.¼ Cup (or) 25 gms Turmeric Powder, ½ Cup (or) 145 gms Salt, ¼ Cup (or) 40 gms Jaggery Powder
- Once the spices are cooled completely, add a batch of spices to a mixie jar and grind them.
- Now add tamarind to the prepared mix in the mixer jar and grind to a fine powder.1 cup (or) 104 gms Tamarind
- Grind spices and tamarind in batches.
- Store instant sambar mix in an airtight jar.
Notes
Nutrition
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Dee
Is the quantity of coriander high compared to daal ?
Geetha Priyanka
There are 2 types of dal used. If you are aking about toor dal then yes, both need to be of the same quantity (if you use cup measurements).