Instant tiffin sambar recipe, sambar without dal. Easy to make tiffin sambar without dal and sambar powder, recipe with full video and step-by-step pictures.
We make sambar using toor dal or moong dal. We don’t use any cooked dal in this recipe, instead, we use pottukadalai | roasted gram dal. When we have sudden guests at home or running out of time to cook the dal, you can make this instant sambar.
This sambar pairs well with Idli, dosa, and Pongal. This won’t go well with rice. I added carrot to this sambar, apart from onion and tomato. You can add capsicum, yellow pumpkin, brinjal, or drumsticks too. Even you can skip the veggies and add only onion and tomato.
Apart from this, we have a lot of sambar varieties in Jeyashris kitchen. Check out our Hotel sambar recipe, Arachuvitta vengaya sambar, Thakkali sambar
Instant sambar recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup peeled shallots
- ½ tomato
- ½ carrots
- 1.5 cups thin tamarind extract
- Salt as needed
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 2 pinches asafoetida
- 3 tsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 green chili
- Few curry leaves
To grind
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp dhaniya | coriander seeds
- 5 shallots
- ½ tomato
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tbsp pottukadalai | roasted gram dal
- 4 red chilis
Instructions
- Soak a small lemon sized tamarind in water and take 1.5 cups of thin tamarind extract.
- In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the coriander seeds and red chili.
- Saute this for 2 minutes and then add the 5 shallots.
- Saute everything till the onions change color. Cook in a medium flame.
- Now add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and add the cumin seeds and the potttukadalai.
- Cool this and grind into a fine paste by adding water.
- Keep this aside.
- In the pan add 3 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds, slit green chili and curry leaves.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the small onions.
- Saute till translucent.
- Now add in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, you can add capsicum or pumpkin too.
- Mix well and add in the tamarind water.
- Add turmeric powder and salt.
- Let this boil for 7-9 minutes in a medium flame till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
- Now add in the ground paste and mix well.
- Add 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency.
- Mix well and let this boil for 3 minutes.
- Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.
- Instant tiffin sambar is ready.
- Serve with Idli, Dosa, Pongal or Kuzhi paniyaram.
Video
Notes
2. This Instant sambar pairs well with tiffin items only, and not with rice.
- Soak a small lemon sized tamarind in water and take 1.5 cups of thin tamarind extract.
- In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the coriander seeds and red chili.
- Saute this for 2 minutes and then add the 5 shallots.
- Saute everything till the onions change color. Cook on medium flame.
- Now add the tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
- Switch off the flame and add the cumin seeds and the potttukadalai.
- Cool this and grind into a fine paste by adding water.
- Keep this aside.
- In the pan add 3 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds, slit green chili and curry leaves.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the small onions.
- Saute till translucent.
- Now add in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the carrots, you can add capsicum or pumpkin too.
- Mix well and add in the tamarind water.
- Add turmeric powder,asafoetida and salt.
- Let this boil for 7-9 minutes in a medium flame till the raw smell of the tamarind goes off.
- Now add in the ground paste and mix well.
- Add 1 cup of water to adjust the consistency.
- Switch off and garnish with coriander leaves.
- Instant tiffin sambar is ready.
- Serve with Idli, Dosa, Pongal or Kuzhi paniyaram.
- Do not add more pottukadalai than the quantity mentioned, it won’t taste good.
- This Instant sambar pairs well with tiffin items only, and not with rice.
wow…super and tempting easy sambar…My mom used to make it too..
aromatic delicious looking sambar
jeyashree….wow so tasty…i love this bowl too……..so cute.delicious.
looks yumm and like the addition of pottukadalai.. i make a sambar especially for idli with moong dal in it..
So tempting and yummy. I normally use cooked toordhal in place of pottukadalai. Your version is more better.
Should be handy for the hurry burry mornings! delicious one 🙂
i make by adding gram flour. Sure it helps in busy mornings 🙂
Looks so yum along with those idlis
Sounds good.Must give a try
that is so quick and interesting.. Bookmarking this..
Sowmya
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wow very unique recipe.. hv never heard abt this one.. looks inviting..
I can have two more idlies with this fingerlicking sambar, love it.
Delicious and lovely sambar. Unique preparation.
Deepa
wow nice idea,pics makes me hungry…
Love this sambar ..yes mom too do this way. Absolutely finger licking good.
drool worthy esp when its a long day
looks yummy my mum does this.. Definitely good alternative to usual sambar..
Great-secret-of-life.blogspot.com
V useful and tasty recipe
awesome sambhar
wow so nice dear… very lovely n delicious sambhar… have bookmarked it…
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I am going to be away for some time, will try this out and make sure the spouse masters it for survival the days he has to fend for himself!
Awesome, comes in handy on those days you don't have time to pressure cook dal..
Wow… this looks tempting and yummy.., looks absolutely delicious.
Adding pottukadalai sounds interesting…am going to try this one soon. Looks delicious
I making Idli this friday, will give this a try. Looks yumm, Jeyashri.
Quick and tempting sambar…Love with dosas…
Delicious sambar..yummy..
Shabbu's Tasty Kitchen
Delicious sambhar, I too do this the same way
Love these ! Good one .
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Thanks a lot. Today made this instant sambar as side dish for morning breakfast idli. So tasty. This is very good recipe for weight watchers as Dhal quantity used is very minimum. Once more thanks a lot for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Instant sambar sounds and looks delicious, lovely variation!!
I tried this sambar and it tasted great with idlis…thanks for this easy n instant recipe…nice variation, sure a keeper recipe!! loved your presentation n pics!!
This sambar has no thoor dhal Jeyasri? Sounds interesting.
very nice jeyasri, good one
Actually this website is the best one.One more thing is the picture speaks the recipe. Thanks so bunch
I made this recipe yesterday night…and my hubby was asking how come u made sambar with taking so many hours…as I generally take lot of time with toor dhal…wow….this is so nice and tasted yummy Jeyasri….thanks for sharing….we were surprised while having it idli…with out any dhal like toor or moong ….how come the taste came so nice…thanks again.
Krishnaveni
Oh thats great to know. The pottukdalai(roasted gram) gives a nice flavor to the sambar, Thanks for trying and glad that you all liked it
Hi Jeyashri… I'm new to your blog…I have seen many recipes but tried this recipe yesterday for dinner and it turned out yummy !!! My hubby and also my 3yr old liked it so much that I'm planning to make it tomorrow as well :D… Thank u for the recipe
i think its goooooooood
Tried this today…had promised my 4yr old today that I will not send chutney pwdr with dosa..my young one loved it
I tried it today, It came out awesome, before i start i doubted….but really superb…..thanks a lot .
Hi Jeyashri,
enjoyed browsing your blog and was instantly caught on this instant sambar. Tried it and was very good! Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe!
Priya ( http://www.elaichii.blogspot.com)
Hi Jeyashri,
Finally i shared this recipe on my blog, have been cooking this sambar for long time…thanks a ton for this easy and yummy sambar, now it becomes our family fav Sambar 🙂
Wow super
Wow fantastic
Wow fantastic
Tried it. It is very good side dish even without dhal. It is suitable not only for idli, pongal and dosa as well.
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Tried it and was easy, quick and tasty
Thanks for sharing .. I have made it quite a number of times now and has been a super hit always ..
Thanks for sharing such an easy recipe. I tried today and it came out very well 🙂
what vegetable do I prefer instead of carrot????
Tried it for dinner today with dosa.. tasted very gud.. thanks for this easy recipe
It was really awesome and tasty