Vengaya sambar recipe – Arachuvitta sambar recipe – Pearl onion sambar – Traditional vengaya sambar recipe with full video and step-by-step pictures.
Arachuvitta vengaya sambar is a tasty sambar recipe made using freshly ground Sambar masala. This is a lentil-based onion gravy, cooked in tamarind sauce, popular in South Indian cuisine. The addition of shallots to this sambar gives a delicious aroma. My mother used to make this Arachuvitta vengaya sambar whenever we had guests at home. Also, we make this on the previous day of Deepavali along with potato curry. The classic combo of Vengaya sambar and urulai kizhambu curry is very popular in Tamil brahmin cuisine.
In our cuisine, we don’t add onions to any other sambar. If we are making drumstick sambar or capsicum sambar or mullagi sambar, it is exclusively using those veggies only. We don’t add onions to that. So this sambar is very special for us by adding only the small onions. The aroma of the sambar made using small onions and freshly ground masala is the highlight of this recipe.
Also, check out, kalyana sambar, udipi sambar, Drumstick leaves sambar, Hotel sambar, Capsicum sambar, Vendakkai sambar with fresh masala.
Vengaya sambar recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup small onions | shallots
- 1 and 1/2 tamarind extract from a small lemon size tamarind
- 1.5 tsp sambar powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- ½ cup toor dal uncooked
- Salt as needed
- A pinch of asafoetida
- Curry leaves few
- Coriander leaves few
- 1 tsp ghee
- 1 tbsp oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- Water as needed
To roast and grind
- 2 tsp oil
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp chana dal
- 4 red chilis
- ½ tsp fenugreen seeds | vendhayam
- 3 tbsp coconut
Instructions
- Cook the toor dal with 1 cup water and ½ tsp turmeric powder, in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles.
- Once the pressure is released take out and mash it well and keep aside.
- Soak a lemon sized tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract 1.5 cups of tamarind juice.
- In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the coriander seeds, chana dal, fenugreek seeds and red chilis.
- Roast in medium flame till the dal turns golden brown.
- Add the coconut and switch off the flame.
- Once it is cool grind this into a smooth paste. Add little water while grinding.
- In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil and add the mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the peeled small onions.
- Saute till it turns slight golden brown.
- Now simmer the flame and add the tamarind water.
- Add the sambar powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida.
- Let this boil for 5-7 minutes.
- Now add the cooked toor dal and the ground coconut paste.
- Add ½ cup of water to adjust the consistency.
- Mix well and let this boil for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp of ghee to this. This enhances the flavour of the sambar.
- Add curry leaves.
- Switch off the flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Vengaya sambar is ready.
- Pair it with the classic potato curry and enjoy with plain rice.
Video
Notes
- Cook the toor dal with 1 cup water and ½ tsp turmeric powder, in a pressure cooker for 4-5 whistles.
- Once the pressure is released take out and mash it well and keep aside.
- Soak a lemon sized tamarind in hot water for 10 minutes and extract 1.5 cups of tamarind juice.
- In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add the coriander seeds, chana dal, fenugreek seeds, and red chilis.
- Roast in medium flame till the dal turns golden brown.
- Add the coconut and switch off the flame.
- Once it is cool grind this into a smooth paste. Add little water while grinding
- In a pan add 1 tbsp of oil and add the mustard seeds.
- Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the peeled small onions.
- Saute till it turns slightly golden brown.
- Now simmer the flame and add the tamarind water.
- Add the sambar powder, ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt and asafoetida.
- Let this boil for 5-7 minutes.
- Now add the cooked toor dal and the ground coconut paste.
- Add ½ cup of water to adjust the consistency.
- Mix well and let this boil for 2 minutes.
- Add 1 tsp of ghee to this. This enhances the flavor of the sambar.
- Add curry leaves.
- Switch off the flame and add finely chopped coriander leaves.
- Vengaya sambar is ready.
- Pair it with the classic potato curry and enjoy it with plain rice.
- You can grind ½ tomato along with the coconut.
- 3-4 small onions can also be added while grinding the fresh masala.
- You can skip the sambar podi and double the quantity of chana dal, red chili, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds.
- Vengaya sambar pairs well with rice, Idli, dosai and Pongal too.
Sambar looks yummy! I love vengaya sambar & potato varuval combo! 😛
Sambar without tomato…i haven't tried!:)Shall try your version soon!
So yummy and inviting onion sambar.
http://www.indianrecipecorner.com
Simply awesome… Loved ur presentation
Supoer yummy n temptiung sambhar
Superb recipe Jeyashri.. A small request.. Would be great if you could rename the recipe to Chinna vengaya sambar/shallot sambar… I have searched a lot with the "Chinna vengaya sambar" and never arrived at a perfect recipe..
I like the vessel very authentic one 🙂 i do have one 🙂
homestylevegfood.blogspot.in
Looks so so good, my favorite this is! never tried adding coconut, must be flavorful
Wow…delicious sambar
jeyashree…i just suggested sambar in ur blog yesterday…today iam seeing ur sambar recipe………wow it looks tasty.
My hubby's fav/ will try for him.
neat presentation…
Sambar sounds tasty.Never tried this version.Soon will give a try…
liked adding coconut here…lovely color of onion sambar
Jeyashree delicious recipe of sambhar I have already bookmarked it.
Delicious Sambar…Mom used to prepare Vengaya Sambar and Potato Curry almost every sunday.
Looks so delicious and i am drooling over here, pefect with hot idlies…
I love this one! Vengaya sambar and rice , that is real comfort food:-)
lOVELY RECIPE..lOOKS YUMMY.
my fav sambhar recipe..
A favourite. Can be had with rice, idli, vada, dosa… name it..
love this always..made on sundays at my place so that it can be relished with peace..
Long time had vengaya sambar ….and never had it with coconut ..looks interesting
flavourful sambar..looks very tempting
wow. so delicious. sambhar is looking fantastic
Small onions add an extra flavor to this delicious sambar..
Delicious Sambar, very new to me. Will definitley try!
Super tempting and my kind of comforting food,makes me hungry.
the araichuvitta masala and associated flavour is unbeatable
Sambar looks so good, wish i had this with rice right now a real comfort food.
This is the recipe my mom follows..arachuvitta sambar is a must in dinner,the night before Diwali..
Delicious yet simple and flavorful sambhar,love to have it with rice and potato curry,pappad….
Oh my God! My mom makes this sambar in EXACTLY the same way !! And this was Sunday special in our house, with potato roast curry, because the elders would be okay with eating onions only on that day !! 😀
i tried this recipe today, it came out well 🙂 thank for sharing it jayashri :):)
i tried this recipe today, it came out well 🙂 thank for sharing it here jayashri :):)
thank u so much
I'm new to cooking.. and ur blog really helped me to start on and try different recepies as well.. gr8 job!! keep going ma'm 🙂
am a starter(new to cooking!!).. ur blog helped me lottt.. keep posting nd gr8 job indeed 🙂
Thank u so much
Give ur version of sambhar powder & Garam Masala Powder.
THanks
Hey Jey!
Yesterday I made this version of arachu-utta sambar for my fiance. He just loved it. He ate three servings of sambar with rice 🙂 Sooo happy 🙂 The credit goes to you 🙂 Thanks once again 🙂
That's great to hear janani. All the best 🙂
very nice recipe, made it once, family loved it, making it again. thank you. 🙂
Hi Jeyashri, ur recipe is so gr8 and i tried it out. My husband loved it. Yummmmmmmmmyyyyyyy!!!!!
pl tell me for many people i can serve with this measure
This serves 4-5 people. I have updated in the recipe now
Hi. I have a query- you say to add sambhar powder to the onion and tamarind mix. Which powder do you use? This is in addition to the masala we grind later?
We use home made sambar powder. I have the recipe for sambar powder in my site too. Yes in addition to the masala we add sambar powder.