Sambar (Indian Bean Soup)

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Recipe submitted by Deborah

Sambar (Indian Bean Soup)

Ingredients (use vegan versions):

1 cup dal (split peas or lentils), cleaned, washe'd & drained
1 quart water
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon mild cooking oil
Chopped vegetables (your choice)
Chopped onions (optional, but tasty)
Sambar powder (available at Indian groceries)
Tamarind paste (available at Indian groceries)
Chopped tomatoes (optional)
Salt (optional)

Directions:

Into a large pot put water, dal, turmeric and oil. Bring to boil; turn heat down to simmer. Cook until beans are almost soft. Add the chopped vegetables, and chopped onions, if used. Add 2-5 tsp Sambar Powder, and a tsp of Tamarind Paste, &/or chopped tomatoes.

Cook 10 minutes more, or until beans are tender.

Salt to taste (optional), and serve with really good vegan bread!

NOTE: For a creamier soup, puree finishe'd soup in blender.

What is sambar? Is is comprised of several spices or a single spice?

Archived comment by: joan

Sambar is the name of this dish; it is a thick bean soup. Sambar powder is not the name of a spice, it is a mixture of the spices that are used together to give this dish its characteristic flavor.

Archived comment by: deborah

Thanks, Deborah! This was really good. I tried it your way and then added the optional salt, which made a big difference and I added barley to the leftovers. Yum!

Archived comment by: a.

Sambar Powder contains spices which are dry roast and ground into fine powder. Approximately they contain: coriander seeds, chillies,pepper, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, brown mustard seeds, chickpea dal, poppy seeds in 32:32:2:2:1:1:8:1 ratio in unground state. Each except chillies is dry roast. Chillies are roast in a little oil. For about 5 cups of such powder a dried coconut (grated and dry-roast) may optionally be added. Turmeric powder in same ratio as fenugreek is added without roasting. It is mess preparing your own Sambar powder. Chandra Padmanabhans book Dakshin describes two varieties of Sambar powders apart from 11 other different powders.

Archived comment by: bakulesh