Sambar Powder Recipe | Sambar Podi
Sambar powder, Sambar Podi or Sambar Masala is a South Indian spice blend made with roasted and ground lentils, red chilies and other spices. It is used to make Sambar, a vegetable and lentil based stew.
Servings 1
Equipment
- Mixer Grinder Chutney Jar or Spice Grinder
Ingredients
- 2 cups Coriander Seeds (Sabut Dhania or Varakothamalli)
- 1 cup Chana Dal or Bengal gram dal (Kadala Paruppu)
- 1 cup Tur Dal or Arhar Dal or Thuvaram Paruppu
- 1 tablespoon Milagu or Peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon Jeera or Cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon Methi Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds or Vendayam
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric Powder or Haldi Powder (Manjal Podi)
- 40 Whole red dry chillies (30 Pandi chilies + 10 Byadgi chilies)
Instructions
- Heat a pan, add coriander seeds and dry roast on low heat until its aromatic. Remove from heat, add to a bowl and keep aside to cool.
- Place the pan back on heat, add chana dal. Dry roast until the lentils appear brown. Set it aside to cool with the rest of the ingredients.
- Repeat the process with toor dal and roast until brown. Transfer to a bowl
- Add black peppercorns and cumin seeds. Roast until aromatic.
- Dry roast methi seeds and keep aside to cool. Careful not to burn.
- Remove stems from red chilies and dry roast.
- Allow all the roasted ingredients to cool completely.
- Once cool, transfer the ingredients to a mixer grinder jar. Add turmeric powder.
- Grind the masala in small batches. It ensures the grinder jar doesn't heat up which affects quality or aroma of the masala.
- Mix and store in an airtight container.
Notes
Notes -
-
- Before you begin making Sambar Masala, measure and keep all the ingredients ready.
- If possible, sun dry the ingredients. Increases shelf life.
- All ingredients are roasted individually on medium to low heat (except turmeric).
- Keep a bowl aside so that the roasted ingredients can be transferred easily from the hot pan.
- Hing or asafoetida is not added to the sambar masala. I add it while making sambar.
- This is a Tamil Brahmin Style Sambar Podi. Contains no Garlic.
- Sambar Powder stays fresh for 2 months. You can double the recipe. We prefer grinding fresh.
- Store the podi in an airtight container. The jar for storage should be sterilized in hot water and dried completely. Moisture affects shelf life.
- Avoid keeping a spoon inside the container. Use clean, dry spoon every time you want to use sambar podi.
- In the freezer, the podi has a shelf life of 3-4 months.