Sambar: what it is and why it goes with everything

Sambar is a South Indian stew made from toor dal (split pigeon peas) and vegetables, soured with tamarind and seasoned with sambar powder, mustard seeds and curry leaves. It is served with idli, dosa, vadai and rice, which is why it turns up on almost every South Indian plate.

What is sambar?

Sambar is a thin, tangy, spiced lentil and vegetable stew eaten across South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. It is the standard accompaniment to tiffin dishes and the main wet dish of a rice meal.

The base is cooked toor dal, mashed until almost smooth. Vegetables are added, tamarind gives it a sour edge, and a final tempering of mustard seeds, dried chillies and curry leaves in hot oil or ghee gives it its scent. The colour is usually a warm orange-yellow from turmeric.

Sambar is also written sambhar, and in some regions it has local versions such as the Udupi style, which is a little sweeter, and Kerala-style sambar with coconut.

What goes into sambar?

Sambar contains toor dal, vegetables, tamarind, sambar powder, turmeric, salt, and a tempering of mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried red chilli. A pinch of asafoetida (hing) is common.

• Dal: toor dal is standard. Some cooks mix in a little moong dal.
• Vegetables: drumstick, pumpkin, shallots or small onions, carrot, brinjal (eggplant), okra, radish and potato are all used. The choice often depends on the season.
• Souring agent: tamarind pulp, and sometimes tomato.
• Spices: sambar powder, turmeric and asafoetida.
• Finish: mustard seeds, curry leaves and dried chilli fried in oil or ghee, then poured over the pot.

Drumstick, the long green pod of the moringa tree, is the vegetable most associated with sambar. The pods are chewed and the soft pulp is scraped off the fibrous skin.

How is sambar made?

Sambar is made by boiling dal until soft, simmering vegetables with tamarind and spices, combining the two, and finishing with a tempering. The whole process takes around 40 to 60 minutes.

1. Rinse toor dal and cook it with water and turmeric until it falls apart, then mash it.
2. Simmer chopped vegetables in water with salt until nearly tender.
3. Add tamarind water and sambar powder and cook for several minutes to remove the raw taste.
4. Stir in the mashed dal and add water until the stew is pourable.
5. Heat oil or ghee, crackle mustard seeds, add curry leaves and dried chilli, and pour it over the pot.
6. Finish with chopped coriander leaves.

A pressure cooker is the usual tool for the dal at home, because toor dal takes a long time to soften in an open pot.

What does sambar taste like?

Sambar tastes tangy and savoury with a gentle heat, a hint of sweetness from the vegetables and a warm, toasted spice flavour from the powder. The tamarind gives sourness without sharpness.

The texture is smooth from the dal with soft chunks of vegetable. A good bowl is neither watery nor thick like porridge. The spice is usually moderate and mild enough to suit a breakfast plate.

What is sambar served with?

Sambar is served with idli, dosa, uthappam, vadai, pongal and plain rice. It also goes with upma and with poori in some homes.

Sambar rice, also called sambar sadam, is rice cooked or mixed together with sambar into a single comforting dish.

Sambar vs rasam vs kurma: what is the difference?

Sambar is a thick lentil and vegetable stew, rasam is a thin tamarind and pepper broth, and kurma is a creamy, coconut-based vegetable curry. They are all served with South Indian food, but they play different roles.

Rasam is often drunk or spooned over rice towards the end of a meal. Kurma is more commonly eaten with parotta, chapati and poori than with idli.

What are the regional types of sambar?

The regional types include Tamil sambar, Udupi sambar, Kerala sambar, Andhra pappu charu and arachuvitta sambar. They differ in sweetness, coconut, spice and whether the masala is fresh-ground.

Tamil Nadu has several, including arachuvitta sambar, made with freshly ground coconut and spices instead of ready-made powder. Karnataka’s Udupi style is slightly sweet and often includes jaggery. Kerala versions often add coconut and use more shallots. In Andhra, a related dal-based dish is called pappu charu.

How do you store sambar?

Cooked sambar keeps in the refrigerator for about three to four days in a covered container. It can be frozen, though the vegetables soften further.

Reheat it slowly on the stove with a splash of water, as sambar thickens when chilled. The tempering can be refreshed with a little hot oil and mustard seeds. Restaurants often sell sambar by the container for this reason, so it can be taken home for the next meal.

Where does sambar appear on the Maruthi menu?

The Maruthi South Indian Restaurant menu records sambar as a side described as a lentil and vegetable stew, sold by the container. It also lists sambar vadai, sambar idli and sambar rice, and sambar comes with the combos Idli Vadai and Mini Tiffin. This is from the menu recorded in November 2026.

Sambar vadai is two lentil fritters in sambar with onion and cilantro. Sambar idli is idli served in sambar. Sambar rice is rice with lentil stew and mixed vegetables. The independent guide to the full menu lists the rest, and the hours and location page gives opening times. No prices are recorded.

Common questions

Planning a visit? Start with Maruthi South Indian Restaurant: address, opening hours, menu and directions in one place.

This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Maruthi South Indian Restaurant itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.