Homemade Sambar Powder

Sambar powder is an aromatic blend of few lentils and whole spices. These ingredients are dry roasted till they turn aromatic and then ground to a powder, either little coarse or fine.

The powder gives any dish a delicious taste making it unique and different from other lentil recipes.

Sambar powder is prepared in various ways throughout South India with different ingredients. But the base is coriander seeds, cumin seeds and lentils.

The recipe I have shared today is my perimma’s recipe which she prepares normally at home for many years. She makes and gives sambar powder to all of us. This time, I wanted to make it!!

The powder is so aromatic and tastier than the store-bought one. This is her second recipe that I am sharing. The other one is Kothamalli Thogayal.

Preparing sambar powder at home is so easy. We could make it at home in no time. Just you need to dry roast all the ingredients separate if making in a big quantity till they turn aromatic and golden in color. Then cool everything completely and grind to slightly coarse or fine powder. I have grinded it to slightly coarse.

Easy right😊 Thanks to my sister for helping me out with measurements!! Let’s check the recipe now❤

INGREDIENTS

The below quantity can fill a 200 gm. bottle

  • Red chilli- 63 gms. ( approximately 50 red chillies)
  • Coriander seeds- 100 gm.
  • Cumin seeds/ Jeera- 100 gm.
  • Urad dal- 20gm.
  • Fenugreek seeds/ Methi seeds- 20 gm.
  • Asafoedita powder- 1 tsp
  • Pepper seeds- 25 gm.

If making big quantity, then this is the measurement:

  • Red chilli- 250 gms.
  • Coriander seeds- 400 gms.
  • Cumin seeds/ Jeera- 400 gms.
  • Urad dal- 75 gms.
  • Fenugreek seeds/Methi seeds- 75 gms.
  • Asafoedita- Lime size cube ( or 4 tsp powder)
  • Pepper seeds- 100 gm.

PROCEDURE

Take all the ingredients separate in a kadai and dry roast it till it turns golden and aromatic. There is no need to roast it much. Then cool it down and grind it to slightly coarse or fine powder. All the roasting is done in low flame.

Discard the stem portion from red chillies.
Dry roast urad dal till it turns golden and aromatic in low flame.
Once dry roasted, transfer it to a plate.
Dry roast coriander seeds till it turns aromatic and slightly changes the color.
Dry roast cumin seeds till it turns aromatic and slight change in color.
Once dry roasted, move them to a plate.
Dry roast pepper corns till it is aromatic and turns crisp in low flame.
Dry roast fenugreek/methi seeds, till it turns aromatic and changes color.
Transfer everything to the same plate.
Now add asafoedita powder to the same kadai in a very low flame and saute till you get aroma. Don’t burn it.
Transfer it to the same plate.
Now finally, switch off the flame, keep it in the stove and add red chillies to the same kadai. It will get roasted in the heat of the kadai. Roast till it turns crisp.
Transfer it to the same plate. Let everything cool down completely.
Then transfer it to a mixer jar to slightly coarse or fine powder. You can get these milled in a flour mill if making in a larger quantity.
I grinded to slightly coarse.
Move it to a bowl. Leave it in air for sometime. Be careful that no water spills inside. Store it in an airtight container or glass bottle for future use. You can store it in steel container too.
The one Iam having in hand is the store-bought one; both looked the same but the homemade sambar powder was more aromatic.

TIPS

  • Store it in an airtight container for future use.
  • The complete roasting is done in low flame.
  • Make sure that no water drop spills inside when dry roasting and after grinding.