How to make sambar masala at home? - 24 Mantra Organic

Sambar powder is an aromatic mixture of lentils and whole spices. These additives are dry roasted and then ground to prepare a powder, which gives any dish a distinctive flavour that makes it unique from other lentil recipes.

You can add a special ingredient called Sambar Podi to your sambar masala powder. The Sambar Podi is a spice powder that can add wonders to your Sambar powder and render a zestful aroma with a zestful taste.

You can prepare Sambar Podi by adding coconut into your already-prepared masala powder. All you have to do is add in 1/4 cup grated fresh coconut in the recipe.

Sometimes, spices such as cinnamon and stone flower are added to the final recipe as well.

You can make Sambar Podi beforehand and store it for months.

Sambar Podi can be conveniently prepared at home as the recipe is –

• Basic
• Hygenic
• Economical
• Flavorful
• Takes up about 15 mins
• Stays good for roughly three months

How to make sambar masala at home – Ingredients

Making sambar masala at home is healthy, economical, free of preservatives, with the added benefit of ingredients readily available in your pantry. The taste will turn out even more remarkable when you use organic products for the prep.

Now that you have gone through the reasons to prepare sambar masala, the next step is to learn how to make sambar masala at home and note all the mentioned ingredients that you will require –

• Lentils

You will need lentils that include chana dal and urad dal.

• Spices

Whole spices added in this powder include –

1. 250 grams Coriander seeds
2. 75 grams Fenugreek seeds
3. 200 grams whole dried red chillies
4. 25 grams cumin seeds/ jeera
5. 25 grams black pepper
6. 11/2 inch turmeric root (substitute of turmeric powder)
7. 10 grams compound asafoetida
8. A handful of curry leaves (optional)

Another tip, while you are learning how to make sambar powder at home, is that you can cut down or raise the quantity of the ingredients to prepare this powder corresponding to your needs.

Tips on how to make sambar masala at home

Follow these tips for best results before getting started –

• Use spices that are fresh and in their shelf period.
• Spices like the coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds require picking and cleaning to rid them of stones.
• Ensure that the dry red chillies do not have mould from the inside. Break them and look out for any whitish or greyish mould inside. The mould feels crisp on the touch and not moist.
• Check the ingredients for insects that appear in spices such as coriander seeds.
• The coriander seeds must feel fresh and crisp. If they have mould growth or are not aromatic, throw them right away.

Recipe on how to make sambar masala at home

This recipe yields about 200 grams of masala powder. This modest amount might be adequate for you if you make sambar once a week or occasionally.

1. Dry roast the dal and let it stay undisturbed.
2. Dry roast spices including coriander seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black peppercorn, fenugreek seeds, and let it rest.
3. Dry roast the red chillies and the curry leaves.
4. Mix all the roasted ingredients with hing in a grinder to grind them into a thin powder.

The daily consumption of organic foods is beneficial for you and your family, as it adheres to the international standards of healthy meals.

Organic farming can protect the environment because of its eco-friendly cultivation practices and no pesticidal involvement.

How to make sambar masala at home – Other Useful Tips

• You must have the right proportion of veggies and lentils, an aromatic spice blend and a subtle balance of sourness, sweetness and spiciness.
• The quality of veggies you add makes an enormous difference to the flavour of your sambar.
• Veggies such as small pearl onions, yellow pumpkin, drumstick have a peculiar taste to them and intensify the taste of a sambar. You can prepare it with a single vegetable or a variety of them, depending on the dish you are serving.
• Similarly, the choice of dal also affects the taste of sambar. Mostly sambars are prepared with either toor dal or moong dal, or mostly a combination of both.
• Some people keep it simple with elementary ingredients, some add pre-ground spices, while some grind it fresh. All these factors tremendously impact the taste of your sambar.

Sambar Powder V/S Rasam Powder

Both the Powders employ the same ingredients, except a few of them.

The recipe for sambar powder comprises Urad Dal along with Chana Dal, whereas Rasam Powder contains Toor Dal with Chana Dal.

Its use in the respective dals as-well-as their texture also helps in distinguishing them.

While the Sambar is thick and creamy because of the addition of Dal, Rasam is watery and tangy compared to Sambar.

Usage Ideas

Once you learn how to make sambar powder at home, you will realize that it renders not only magic to sambar recipes, but you can also use it in copious other recipes.

You can use sambar masala to make Sabzi, Pulav, Curry, Biryanis, Bread Upma, Rava Upma, and other dishes that demand an aromatic flavour with a touch of spiciness.

Storage Suggestions

You can conveniently store this homemade powder in an airtight vessel for about six months in the refrigerator. You can preserve it for three months at room temperature.

You must make sure you use an airtight package, or else the sambar masala might lose its flavour, aroma, and colour.

Final Words

Sambar powder is a savoury South Indian style coarse-textured spice powder made by grinding various types of basic Indian spices.

In South India, people add vegetables and lentils to sambar masala while preparing various types of sambars to enhance the flavour.

You can also experiment with various spices and dishes and discover what pleases your taste buds the best.

The consumption of organic food is highly recommended by health experts and nutritionists, as it can safeguard your children and family from cancer-inducing pesticides sprayed on the farm.

Purchasing organic food can also help farmers get rid of the middlemen so that they can earn sustainable livelihoods.

Try 24 Mantra Organic’s Sambar Powder and Savour the taste of organic goodness.