😋Homemade Sambar Powder-a versatile masala mix

Sometime back, I had shared the recipe for sambar, along with an instant masala to make it. Hope you tried it and liked it. If you haven’t, do try it today! But having a stock of sambar powder is very handy. I use it as the masala for stir fries, to make kootu, or add it to tomato chutney, which can be eaten with idli-dosa and even chapati. Since it has all the spices adding just this powder is enough to make a dish flavoursome.

This versatile powder can be ground with fresh coconut to make the ordinary sambar into a festive dish. No need to roast ingredients. My nephew eats it in place of the milagai podi, for idlis and dosas. I have tried it and it tastes great! Add a pinch of salt to it and then mix it with til oil and you have a very different flavoured milagai podi! In short, this is a spice mix that every kitchen should have.

Like every masala, the sambar powder and its flavour varies from region to region and even family to family. For instance, neither my mother nor my mother-in-law added urad dal. But I add a little of it, inspired by some recipes that gives it added thickness and a great flavour. I also learnt from one of my friends that adding a bit of mustard gives it a unique flavour. You are free to omit it, if you like. I have used both Kashmiri chillies and Guntur chillies. The former gives the powder a deep colour.

It doesn’t take long to make and saves oodles of time once you have a stock of it. Vary the quantity of chillies as per your spice tolerance.

Sambar Powder:

 Ingredients:

• Tur dal (arhar dal)              ½ cup
• Chana Dal                          ½ cup
• Urad Dal                              2 tbsp
• Dhania                                 2 ½ cup
• Methi                                    1 tsp
• Pepper                                  1 tbsp
• Jeera                                     1 tsp
• Chillies                                 10 Kashmiri or Bedgi chillies +
  • 10-15 Guntur/Pandi or any spicy variety
• Hing                                       1 tsp
• Haldi powder                       1 tsp
• A handful of curry leaves (I have used shadow dried curry leaves. If you use fresh ones, dry the leaves well before dry roasting them till crisp).

Method:

• Dry roast the dals in a heavy-bottomed kadhai till they turn a light golden brown and aromatic. Don’t over roast them. Remove to a plate.
• Roast the dhania till it emits a fragrant aroma. Don’t brown it.
• Roast the other ingredients lightly till they turn fragrant.
• If using fresh curry leaves, dry roast them till they turn crisp but retain their colour. I used dried ones, as I usually keep a stock of them.
• Finally, add a few drops of oil and saute the chillies till they fluff up.
• Cool the ingredients fully and powder them. First powder the dals till they reach a rava consistency and then add other ingredients. Cut the chillies with scissors and grind, else they would not get powdered properly.
• Add the hing powder and haldi powder, pulse it and remove to a plate to let it cool. Your lovely red coloured, spicy all-purpose sambar powder is ready! Store in an airtight container. No need to refrigerate. It will stay fragrant for a couple of months.