Sambhar Powder Recipe
Sambhar powder is a blend of aromatic and flavorful spices that are ground together to create a powder that can be added to various dishes, most notably the popular South Indian dish, Sambhar. This spice blend is traditionally made with a combination of cumin, coriander, turmeric, mustard seeds, lentils, and dried red chili peppers, among other ingredients. The combination of spices is carefully balanced to bring out the full flavor of each spice, creating a rich, aromatic powder that can transform any dish into a flavor-packed experience.
Ingredients
- ½ cup coriander seeds
- 2 tbsp Cumin (Jeera)
- 15 dried red chilli halved and seeds removed
- 1.5 tsp fenugreek seeds / methi seeds methi seeds
- 1 tbsp black pepper
- 2 tbsp split husked bengal gram chana dal
- 1 tbsp split husked black gram urad dal
- ⅓ cup curry leaves
- ½ tbsp mustard seeds / rai
- ½ tbsp Asafoetida / hing
- ½ tbsp turmeric powder
Instructions
Preparation
- Assemble all ingredients to avoid last minute rush.
- Measure the ingredients correctly and keep aside. Halve or break the dry red chillies and remove the seeds. And their crowns.
Cooking
- Heat a frying pan and then add coriander seeds and cumin seeds.
- On a low heat, stir and roast the coriander seeds and cumin seeds, till they become fragrant and change color. After 2 minutes, they should smell aromatic. Do not brown them too much.
- Then remove from the pan and add to a large plate or tray.
- Then, add dry red chilies and start roasting them.
- Roast the red chilies, stirring them till they change color and you can get their pungent smoky aroma. Place the roasted red chilies in the same plate.
- Now add the fenugreek seeds. Stir often and roast them. Roast till they get browned but make sure not to burn or brown them too much. Remove in the same plate.
- Add black peppercorns. Stir often and roast. The black peppers will get aromatic and this is the time you remove them from the pan. Add roasted black peppers to the same plate, where all the spices are kept.
- Now add chana dal to the same pan. Keep on stirring at intervals, while roasting the chana dal. Chana dal takes longer to cook than the spices. The dal should get browned or golden. For uniform cooking and color, keep on stirring them. Remove aside in the same plate.
- Now add urad dal to the pan. Keep on stirring these lentils too while roasting them. Roast till they become golden and you a get a nice waft of the roasted urad dal. Remove them in the same plate.
- Add curry leaves (fresh or dried). Roast the curry leaves till the leaves become crisp. Keep aside.
- Next add mustard seeds. When all the mustard seeds finish popping, then remove them and keep aside.
- Switch off the heat now and add asafoetida (hing) in the pan. Quickly stir as soon as you add the asafoetida.
- Only the color needs to change of the hing and you should get its aroma. Remove and keep aside.
- Now let all the roasted spices cool down and come at room temperature.
- In a grinder jar, add the spices and turmeric powder. Depending on quantity, grind them into batches for even powder.
- Grind to a fine powder.
- After sambhar powder cools down, fill it in an airtight container.
Equipment Used for This Recipe
- Air Tight Container
Notes & Tips
- Add sambar powder to any of the sambar recipes you make. For a serving of 4, add about 2 to 3 teaspoons of this sambar masala.
- Store the sambar masala powder in a clean air-tight jar in a dry, cool place. When taking the spice mix from the jar, always use a dry spoon. Never use a wet spoon.
- Note that if any moisture or water goes into the jar, it will deteriorate the spice blend and may get moldy or have fungus.
- After you are done with taking the required amount of sambar masala for your recipe, close the jar well with its lid.
- This sambar powder keeps well for 3 to 4 months in a dry and cool place. Store it in a cool and dry place in your kitchen which does not have any moisture. if you live in a hot and humid region then store in the refrigerator.
- If you want, you can choose to rinse the lentils in water before roasting them. Prior to roasting lentils, rinse once or twice in water. Drain the water spread them on a small plate. Sun dry them for some minutes or keep them under a fan until they are dried.
- If you want to add coconut, then add about ⅓ cup shredded desiccated coconut. Roast the coconut until golden and grind or powder with the remaining ingredients. But do note that with coconut, the shelf life will reduce. So, I recommend to store this sambar powder made with coconut in the refrigerator.
- Ingredients & Equipment: Find these Ingredients & Equipment at specialty food stores or online stores. For review of some stores, please refer to the Grocery Review Section on our Website.
Nutrition Information (Note: Approximate)
Nutrition Facts
Sambhar Powder Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
189
% Daily Value*
Fat
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
0.4
g
3
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
2
g
Sodium
29
mg
1
%
Potassium
852
mg
24
%
Carbohydrates
35
g
12
%
Fiber
11
g
46
%
Sugar
9
g
10
%
Protein
9
g
18
%
Vitamin A
3170
IU
63
%
Vitamin B1
0.2
mg
13
%
Vitamin B2
0.2
mg
12
%
Vitamin B3
456
mg
2280
%
Vitamin B5
0.4
mg
4
%
Vitamin B6
1
mg
50
%
Vitamin C
1034
mg
1253
%
Vitamin E
1
mg
7
%
Vitamin K
27
µg
26
%
Calcium
323
mg
32
%
Iron
7
mg
39
%
Magnesium
115
mg
29
%
Zinc
2
mg
13
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.