Sambar Powder-Sambar podi

Sambar Podi

Ingredients

Ingredients for sambar powder

• Kashmir Chillies- 12 to 14 

• Dhaniya (Coriander seeds)-slightly more than 1/2 cup but less than 3/4 cup

• Tuvar dal- 1/2 cup

• Channa Dal- 1/2 cups

• Urad dal- 3 tbsps

• Methi (fenugreek)- 2 tsps

• Jeera (cumin seeds)- 2 tsps

• Pepper-2 tsps
• Turmeric -1 tsp

• Asafoetida - 1 lump 

• Curry leaves - a few twigs.

Method of Preparation

• Roast the tuvar dal, urad dal and channa dal in a kadai till they turn golden brown.
• Transfer to a plate or paper to cool.

• Next roast the red chillies and dhaniya with the flame in low. When the chillies become crispy transfer the ingredients to a plate to cool.

• Roast the methi, cumin seeds, pepper and hing and keep aside.
• Roast lightly the curry leaves and keep aside.

• Once all the above roasted ingredients have cooled, grind them in a blender alongwith turmeric. The powder should be finely ground.
• Store in an airtight jar and use as required.

Sambar Podi

Sambar podi (Sambar powder)

Sambar powder

Sambar is a staple of South Indian cooking. Although there are any number of ready made sambar podis available in the market, I believe home-made ones are the best. They last longer and you can choose the ingredients with care. 

Ingredients

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried red chillies packed tightly  (I generally use bydagi chilli but other varieties can also be used. )
• 1 cup coriander seeds (dhaniya)
• 1/3 cup  tuvar dal
• 1/3 cup channa dal
• 2 tbsps. fennel seeds (methi)
• 1 tbsp. cumin seeds (jeera)
• 1 tbsp. pepper (milagu)
• 1 tbsp turmeric
• 1 small lump of asafoetida (hing)
• a bunch of curry leaves
• 1 tsp of oil

Method of Preparation

1. Dry roast the coriander in a kadai for a few minutes. Keep aside to cool. 
2. Again in the same kadai, dry roast the tuvar dal, channa dal, methi, hing and jeera and keep aside to cool.
3. In a little oil roast the red chillies and pepper till you get the aroma. Keep this aside to cool.
4. Lastly, lightly dry the curry leaves on the hot kadai.

(Note: In some families the ingredients are sun dried, cooled and powdered.)

• Powder all the roasted ingredients with the turmeric in a blender. The powder should be finely ground.
• Cool the powder on a newspaper and then store in an air-tight tin.