Breakfast in a typical South Indian household is generally Dosa or Idli or different versions of them. The most popular accompaniment for Idli is sambar and chutney.

There are various recipes of an authentic sambar, the below recipe I learnt from my Mother-in-Law. This is the one my hubby and son absolutely relish 🙂

So here is the recipe for the same:

RECIPE:

Video Link: Sambar – For Idli

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 30-40 minutes

Serves: 5

INGREDIENTS:

Toor Dal – 3/4 cup

Tomatoes – 1

Green Chillies – 2

Onions – 1

Potatoes – 2 small ones

Rasam Powder – 1.5 tsp

Sambar Powder – 1.5 tsp

Tamarind Paste – 2 tsp or more

Curry Leaves – few

Coriander Leaves – for garnishing

For Tempering:

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Urad Dal – 1 tsp

Dry red chillies – 2

Asafoetida – 1/2 tsp

METHOD:

Pressure cook the dal with enough water and pureé or mash as per your preference.

Now in a wide bottomed dish, heat oil and add the ingredients mentioned under the ‘For tempering’ section. Sauté till done.

Next, add the chopped tomatoes and curry leaves. Sauté before adding the tamarind, rasam powder and sambar powder.

Mix well and sauté till the tomatoes are mushy.

Next, add the pureed or mashed toor dal along with  2 cups of water. Add salt. Mix well.

Now add the mashed potatoes and boil well for about 10-12 minutes.

**At this point, check for salt /spice powders/ tamarind. Add any if required.

Meanwhile, caramelize the onions in a separate pan (Use ghee to fry the onions).

Add the onions to the sambar and garnish with coriander leaves before serving.

Serve hot with Idlis and chutney 🙂