Homemade Sambar Powder (Step by Step Pics)

Homemade spice powders are always pure, fresh and fragrant.I try making most of them at home.However, I had never tried making sambar powder at home, as I used to use the Brahmin's sambar powder packets very much.The Brahmin's sambar powder has a yellowish hue as it uses turmeric powder.But now, I hardly find this packet in our Indian stores here and that's the time I gave a thought to recreate this at home.I wasn't sure of the outcome so used this homemade sambar powder a couple of times now and all loved the sambar very much.I have measured the spices in a flour cup that measures 125 gms.You can use your own measure of cups.Though it takes sometime, but you can enjoy sambar guilt free.Try this at home and enjoy !!

Traditional Sambar

Varutharacha Sambar (Roasted Coconut Sambar)

Ulli Sambar

 

Preparation time ~ 15 minutes

Cooking time ~ 10 minutes

Serves ~ 250 g approx. sambar powder

Ingredients
coriander seeds/malli 2 cup /150 gms
red dry chilly(I used spicy chilly) 50 gms

kashmiri dry chilly OR  beydagi chilly 50 gms
chana dal  25 gm(1/4 cup)
*turmeric powder/manjal podi  2tbsp
fenugreek seeds/uluva 1tbsp /12gm
black pepper corn/kurumulakku 1tbsp/12 gm
asafoetida/kayam powder/hing  1tsp

Watch on YouTube -

Method

• Dry roast coriander seeds, red dry chilly, fenugreek seeds, pepper and chana dal on low flame for 3-4 minutes and keep aside.

• Wait to cool down completely and then powder it in the blender until ground.
• Sieve the mixture to get smooth powder.Repeat the process of blending if you have left overs.
• Add the asafoetida and turmeric powder to this smooth powder,mix well.
• Cool completely and then store in sir tight containers.

NOTES
* You can use a mix of toor dal, chana dal and urad dal.
* The ratio of coriander seeds to red dry chilly 1:2 if using only hot chillies, but if you are using a mix of both chillies then use the same ratio in ingredients.
* You can make large batches and store in freezer in ziploc bags.The daily use batch should be small in separate bottles so that it doesn't lose its fragrance.
* You can add whole dried manjal/dried turmeric intsead of turmeric powder.I used turmeric powder, as I had my mom's homemade batch of turmeric powder prepared at home using whole turmeric.

Varutharacha Sambar made by using homemade sambar powder, I used just 1.5 tbsp of sambar powder to make sambar that serves four.No extra spices needed.Very simple, right ??