Idli Sambar Recipe (Tiffin Sambar)

Idli Sambar is a South Indian breakfast meal where soft fluffy steamed cakes known as idli are served with sambar, a vegetable lentil stew. Idli Sambar is made with lentils, plenty of spices, mixed vegetables and herbs. Make this amazingly delicious and easy Idli Sambar at home for a hearty, protein packed and flavorsome meal. It is also known as tiffin sambar & is served with South Indian tiffins/breakfasts such as Soft Idli, Rava idli, Crisp medu vada, khara Pongal, crispy dosa, masala dosa and bonda.

About Idli Sambar

This is my version of the quick Tiffin Sambar made with dal, quick cook veggies, spices and herbs. There are few different ways a sambhar is made, one of them is this South Indian sambar which I shared earlier.

But today’s recipe is made in a very simple method using quick cooking veggies like shallots, carrots and beans. Hence it doesn’t take much time to prepare and can be made even in the early morning.

I am also sharing how to make instant sambar powder just enough for this recipe. I always make this tiffin sambar with homemade powder. If you are new to making Indian food, then do check out the tips below.

On most weekdays, we eat the typical South Indian breakfast like idli, dosa, pongal and pesarattu since they are high in protein and healthy as well. This tiffin sambar goes so well with just anything.

Sometimes I make mini idli for dinner when the kids ask for it. This sambar along with the mini idli and ghee is one of my kids’ favorites.

More similar recipes
Drumstick sambar
Andhra pappu chaaru

How to make Idli Sambar (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Add ¾ cup dal to a pressure cooker and rinse it very well a few times. I use ½ cup toor dal and ¼ moong dal as moong dal gives a nice texture. Hotels use masoor dal instead of moong dal. Then pour 2 cups water and pressure cook for 2 to 3 whistles until soft. You can also add a piece of red pumpkin to the dal.

2. When the pressure releases naturally, open the lid and mash it well to very smooth texture. If using red pumpkin, mash that as well to smooth. That lends a unique sweet flavor that we often find in South Indian Hotels.

Make spice powder

3. While the dal cooks, make the sambar powder if you don’t have. On a medium to low flame, dry roast the following until light golden.

• 3 to 4 dried red chilies
• 1 tablespoon chana dal
• ½ tablespoon urad dal

4. When the dal turns light golden add 1 tablespoon coriander seeds. Dry roast until they begin to smell good. Remove to a plate. Then add ¼ teaspoon methi seeds. Roast until the methi seeds turn slightly dark. Then add ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. If using coconut you can add it now and saute for a minute. This time I did not have so i skipped it. Cool this and make a fine powder.

5. Soak 2 tablespoons tamarind in hot water. You can also use tamarind paste as needed.

Tempering

6. Heat 1 tablespoon ghee or oil in a pot. Add ¾ teaspoon cumin seeds, ¾ teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 pinch of methi seeds. When the seeds begin to splutter, add 1 sprig curry leaves and 1 broken red chilies. Saute until the red chilies turn crisp. Add 1 pinch hing. I set aside half of this tempering to add at the end.

7. Add 12 to 15 shallots (or 1 medium diced onion), 1 medium sized carrot diced and 6 to 8 french beans (chopped to ¾ inch).

8. Saute all of them for 3 minutes.

9. Add 1 large chopped or mashed ripe tomato, 1/8 teaspoon turmeric and ¾ teaspoon salt.

10. On a slightly high heat, saute until the tomatoes turn mushy. Since they are fine chopped they get cooked fast.

Make Idli Sambar

11. Add sambar powder and red chilli powder if using. Saute for a minute without burning. This brings out the aroma of sambar powder.

12. Pour 4 to 4½ cups water and add a bit of jaggery. It is optional to use jaggery. Adjust the quantity of water as needed. Since I use moong dal I add more water. With only toor dal or masoor dal, you will need less water.

13. Cook until the veggies are soft cooked. Filter tamarind to the pot. If you do not like the flavor of tamarind, you can boil the sambar for a while before adding the dal.

14. Add mashed dal to the pot. Dal must be mashed completely. Mix and allow to bubble. Taste test and add more salt, tamarind & jaggery as needed.

15. Add chopped coriander leaves. Optionally you can make a fresh tempering the same way I showed in step 6. I added the tempering that was set aside. When the sambar begin to bubble, switch off the stove.

I usually make mini idli or the regular idli to go with this sambar. But this also goes well with other breakfasts like pongal, dosa, uthappam , vada .

You may want to check this detailed recipe of soft idli.

Place the idlis in a deep serving bowl or plate. Add ghee and then pour the sambhar. Serve hot.

Pro Tips

• The taste and aroma of a sambhar depends on the powder used. So if you like to use a ready powder, use one that has a good aroma. You can also make the powder from this sambar powder recipe.
• To make tiffin sambar avoid using veggies like brinjal, and bhindi as they lend a different flavor that doesn’t go well with idli or any breakfasts.
• Most hotels use pumpkin to make tiffin sambar as it lends a unique sweet flavor & thickens the sambar. If you have golden pumpkin just go ahead and add few cubes along with the dal to pressure cook. Mash them up very well along with dal.
• Most tiffin centers use a mix of tuvar and masoor dal to make idli sambar. I prefer to use toor dal and moong dal. You can experiment with these 3 kinds of lentils.
• I make the sambar powder the previous night as it saves some time in the morning.
• This idli sambar can be prepared just under 35 mins including cooking dal, making sambar powder and making the sambar. If you add veggies like drumsticks it will take longer.

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