Indian · Tamil Nadu · main

Sambar (Toor Dal and Vegetables with Tamarind)

Sambar (Toor Dal and Vegetables with Tamarind) reads sourness 5.0, nutty 4.2 and sweetness 3.9 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Tamil Nadu main, about 1 hr 21 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

• Umami & Savory — 4.1 / 10
• Sweet & Fruity — 4.9 / 10
• Sour & Bright — 5.8 / 10
• Bitter & Earthy — 2.2 / 10
• Rich & Fat — 5.2 / 10
• Aromatic & Spice — 3.9 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Sourness 5.0 · Nutty 4.2 · Sweetness 3.9 · Salinity 3.7 · Allium 3.5 · Umami 3.5 · Fruity 3.2 · Richness 3.2 · Citrus 2.9 · Earthy 2.0 · Heat 1.8 · Herbaceous 1.6 · Bitterness 1.3 · Floral 1.2 · Funk & Ferment 0.8 · Warm Spice 0.8

What's in it (16)

• toor dal — 200 g
• water — 750 g
• turmeric — 3 g
• tamarind paste — 30 g
• drumstick — 150 g
• shallots — 150 g
• ash gourd — 150 g
• tomato — 100 g
• sambar powder — 44 g
• salt — 10 g
• sesame oil — 27 g
• brown mustard seeds — 5 g
• fenugreek seeds — 3 g
• dried red chillies — 10 g
• curry leaves — 2 g
• asafoetida — 1 g

Time & effort: about 1 hr 21 min (1 hr 20 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 35.9 kcal, 0.7 g protein, 2.8 g fat, 2.5 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (7 steps)

1. Cook the toor dal with the water and turmeric until completely soft, 35 to 40 minutes in a pan or 4 whistles in a pressure cooker, then whisk it smooth.
2. Squeeze the soaked tamarind through your fingers and strain the liquid into a wide pot, discarding the fibre.
3. Bring the tamarind water to a boil with the shallots, drumstick, ash gourd, tomato, sambar powder and salt, and simmer 12 to 15 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the raw tamarind sharpness has gone soft and round.
4. Pour in the whisked dal, add 150 ml more water if it is very thick, and simmer a further 8 minutes. Sambar should pour, not sit.
5. For the tempering, heat the gingelly oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds. When they pop, about 40 seconds, add the fenugreek, dried chillies and curry leaves and count 10 seconds more, then take it off the heat and stir in the asafoetida so it does not scorch.
6. Pour the tempering over the sambar, cover for 2 minutes so the aroma settles in, and serve with rice, or with idli and dosa.
7. Substitutions: aubergine can stand in for the ash gourd.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

• Rasam (Pepper and Tamarind Broth) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
• Kara Kuzhambu (Sour Shallot and Aubergine Gravy) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
• Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew — West African
• Mirchi ka Salan (Chillies in Peanut and Sesame Gravy) — Indian · Hyderabad
• Stuffed Bell Peppers with Couscous, Chickpeas, and Feta — Mediterranean

Keep reading: what sourness, nutty, sweetness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.