Sambar Powder Recipe (Sambar Masala)
Updated: March 6, 2023, By Swasthi
Sambar Powder Recipe – Flavorful & aromatic sambar masala powder. Sambar is one of the most delicious South Indian foods often served as a side with rice and vegetable stir fry. There are different kinds made like Idli Sambar, Udupi sambar etc. This masala powder is the main ingredient that adds aroma and taste to the dish.
About Sambar Powder
There are plenty of sambar powder recipes across South India prepared with varying ingredients. Most of these are made with coriander seeds, cumin and lentils as the base. Ingredients like coconut, cinnamon and even stone flower are used in some regions.
For years I had been bringing sambar masala from my mum’s home. For the past one year I have been making my own since I don’t travel frequently.
Most times I make the it fresh just enough for one time preparation. I have shared it on my Sambar recipe and Idli sambar posts.
Making this spice powder at home is easy and can be prepared just under 15 minutes. It is very flavorful and hygienic to make it at home.
This keeps good for about 6 months in the fridge. At room temperature it will keep good for 3 months.
This recipe yields about 1 cup of sambar masala powder. This is good enough to prepare 24 to 30 servings of vegetable sambar. We do not use pepper in this powder. If you prefer you can use it.
This spice powder can also be used to make rasam just add some pepper powder towards the end of making rasam.
More homemade spice powders
Idli Podi
Rasam Powder
Garam Masala
Biryani Masala Powder
Pav Bhaji Masala
Photo Guide
How to Make Sambar Powder (Stepwise photos)
Roast Lentils and Spices
1. Heat a pan. If making sambar powder in large quantity then dry roast each ingredient separately as the cooking time is different. Since this recipe is to make little sambar powder I have roasted them together but in batches.
Pour 1 ½ tablespoon chana dal, 1 ½ tablespoon urad dal, 1 tablespoon toor dal and 8 to 12 dried red chilies. You can also use more red chilies than mentioned in the recipe. But with the amount I mentioned it was too hot for my kids. So if you have kids do adjust. Dry roast them on a low flame until the dal is golden in color & begin to turn aromatic.
2. Add ¼ cup coriander seeds and ¾ teaspoon methi seeds. Roast until coriander seeds turn crunchy and the methi seeds are deep roasted & aromatic.
3. When you smell the roasted methi seeds, add 2 sprigs curry leaves and roast until they turn crisp. By now the methi seeds will turn slightly darker in color.
4. Add 2 teaspoon cumin seeds and roast till crunchy. You will smell the cumin good very soon. Turn off the stove. If you prefer to use pepper corn, you can add 1 teaspoon black pepper corn along with cumin. We use pepper only for rasam powder.
5. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric and 1/8 teaspoon hing to this. Turmeric is used here as a preservative to keep the sambar masala good. Transfer all these to a wide plate and cool completely.
Grind Sambar Powder
6. Add them to a mixer/grinder jar. You can also get these milled in a flour mill if you are making in large quantity.
7. Make a fine powder.
Store sambar powder in a air tight glass jar for freshness. You can also use steel jar.
Related Recipes
Recipe Card
Sambar Powder Recipe (Sambar Masala)
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 1 ½ tablespoons bengal gram (chana dal or senaga pappu)
- 1 ½ tablespoon black gram (skinned urad dal or minapappu)
- 1 tablespoon toor dal (pigeon peas split or kandi pappu)
- 8 to 12 red chilies (adjust to taste)
- ¼ cup coriander seeds (or daniya) 4 tbsps of 22 to 25 grams
- ¾ teaspoon methi seeds (fenugreek seeds or menthulu)
- 2 sprigs curry leaves (kadi patta or kervepaku) (optional)
- 2 teaspoon cumin (or jeera)
- 1 teaspoon pepper corn (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida (hing) (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric (haldi powder)
Instructions
Preparation
- Clean lentils, coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
- Heat a pan and regulate the flame to low.
- The entire roasting should happen on a low flame which brings out the aroma from each ingredient.
- Dry roast chana dal, urad dal, toor dal and red chilies until golden. If you are making this in large quantity then roast each ingredient separately until deep golden.
- Add coriander seeds and methi seeds.
- Roast till the coriander turns crunchy and lightly roasted. By then methi seeds also turn slightly dark & aromatic.
- When you begin to smell the methi seeds nice, add curry leaves and roast until they turn crisp.
- Then add cumin and pepper (optional). Roast until it turns crunchy. Turn off the stove.
- At the end of this step, you should have deep roasted dal, methi, coriander seeds, crisp red chilies & curry leaves.
- Add turmeric and hing. Transfer to a wide plate and cool completely.
How to make Sambar Powder
- Add these to a blender/grinder jar.
- Make a fine powder. Cool completely and store in a airtight glass or steel jar.
- Use sambar powder as needed. It keeps good at room temperature for 3 months.
Notes
Video
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
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About Swasthi
Iโm Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthiโs Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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Comments
This sambar podi is really amazing and so good. My sambar turns out perfect always with this. Thank you
This spice blend is great. I haven’t actually tried making sambar, but I’ve been trying it with different kinds of recipes and it’s been very versatile. I especially like to mix it in with the sauerkraut when I cook bratwurst. I know it sounds like a weird combination, but the flavors work extremely well together.
How much of sambar powder should I use at a time.
Use 1.5 to 2 tablespoons for a 4 serving sambar. You can check my recipe here – sambar
Good
Thanks Haritha
Thank you Swathi . I tried this recipe , but it got little spicy, how can I fix it ?
Hi Nidhi,
Did you try making the sambar? Avoid adding red chili powder & green chilies to sambar completely, that will fix the problem. But if you have tried doing that and it is still spicy, you need to make another batch of sambar powder without red chilies and black pepper. Blend both the batches together and that will fix the problem. Hope this helps
Sambar powder came out to be great! Thanks a lot Swathi. I tried some other recipes also. All were good. Thanks again. Keep it up.
Awesome Recipe
Sambar powder smells tastes and the ?.
Hi Swasthi! Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. My toddler loves to eat sambar his grandma makes for him, but she makes her sambar powder without Chillis for him. I want to try your recipe but is it possible to substitute the chana daal as I worry it’s a litttle hard for littles ones tummies. Thank you ? ?
Hi Deepa,
Yes I agree about chana dal. Substitute it with equal amounts of urad dal and toor dal. Hope he loves it
You have used Byadgi red chili. It is used to give red color to food and is less spicy. Mention in your post that it is Byadgi chili because there are different types of red chili, and each one has its own taste.
I agree each one imparts a different taste and flavor. I will update that. Thank you
Hi Swasthi…
Your Samber Powder is quite unique and easy too…. Great job.. Just wanted to know the shelf life if we make them in bigger quantities like 1kg…
And how to store them for better shelf life..
Can it be kept in Fridge for longer shelf life… If yes, how long in Fridge and how long if kept in room temperature especially Chennai temperature…
Hi Aarthi,
Thank you. Yes you can mill the ingredients when making in such large quantity. It is best stored in freezer if you want to keep it for an year. I would store in several layers of new cloth tied up and then wrap in cling wrap or ziplock bags. In the past I followed this method for many years when I would get large quantities of sambar powder from my mom in India. Make smaller packs just enough for a month or 2, the rest remains fresher. Though you can store in steel or glass containers, I have no experience with that. I store in fridge only enough for 1 to 2 months. Hope this helps.
great work. fantastic receipies
Thanks for sharing and love u
I learned how to make sambhar masala instead of buying it readymade from the store
This recipe turned out really well. My husband and I both loved it.
Kindly make videos in YouTube for more easy to view..All your recipes are yummy and authentic.Thanks.
Hi Margaret,
Thank you! I already have videos on youtube and you can find them in the recipe card too, at the end of the post.
Hin..i want to know one thing.in sbar powder u have not addeed grated dry coconut so will it taste like south indian style..as in general we dont add coconut seperately in sambar making
Hi Sonali,
Many traditional South Indian sambar recipes don’t use coconut in any form (in sambar and in powder both). Using coconut is just one variation & it is done for Udupi Sambar. Also adding coconut to sambar powder cuts down the shelf life. Hope this helps
Hello Swasthi, I want to thank you for your very very amazing and wonderful site. Your recipes are great and I have made many of them. The pictures are great too. Earlier I used to carry sambar powder and garam masala from home in India but now I stopped because I can make them easily with your recipes. Today I made a small batch of sambar powder and your sambar as well. It turned out so good. My Indian neighbour knocks the door to know what sambar powder Iโm using. I showed her your blog.
Thank you so much Pragathi. You made my day! So happy to know!
Thanks
Thanks for detailed and simple recipe
I followed the exact recipe. My sambar smells awesome with this powder. Next time I will double the red chilies. Thank you.
Thank you Vaidehi. Glad to know!
Yes you may double the red chilies if you want spicy like store bought.