how to cook pappu charu sambar hanuman vantalu 05
2Sambar is a lentil-based vegetable stew or chowder based on a broth made with tamarind popular in South Indian and Sri Lankan Tamil cuisines, adapted in each to its taste and environment.
Myths[edit]
One of the myths is that it originated in the kitchen of Thanjavur Marathas ruler Shahuji during the 19th century from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.[1] Shahji trying to make a dish called amti, experimented with pigeon peas instead of mung bean, and tamarind pulp for kokum and the court named it sambhar after the guest of the day, Sambhaji, second emperor of the Maratha Empire.[2]
Variations[edit]
Sambar is reflective of a broad and ancient tradition of lentil-based vegetable stews in southern India. In regions that grow coconuts, notably some areas of Kerala, coastal Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, Sambar is made with a paste of fresh, grated and roasted coconuts and spices, instead of sambar powder. Sambar without lentils (but with vegetables/fish/dry fish etc.) is called Kuzhambu in Tamil Nadu.
Serving[edit]
Sambar is usually served with steamed rice as one of the main courses of both formal and everyday south Indian cuisine. A two-course meal of Sambar mixed with rice and eaten with some sort of vegetable side dish followed by yoghurt mixed with rice, is a prime southern Indian staple. Vada sambar and iddly sambar are popular for breakfast or evening snack in the south Indian states. Road side restaurants often offer free refills of sambar for iddli and vadas. Sambar is also served as a side dish for dosa.
Other sources point to origin as Karnataka where "Sambaru padartha" in Kannada means mix of spices and condiments.There is also an alternate explanation that origin of the name is from the old Tamil word, "Chaampu" meaning ground or paste, in the context of grinding coconut and spices to be dissolved in tamarind pulp. This word is also the root for the unrelated South East Asian dish, Sambol.[3]
Preparation[edit]
Sambar is made either exclusively with one of these vegetables or a combination of them - okra, moringa (also known as drumstick), carrot, radish, pumpkin, daikon, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjal(eggplant) and whole or halved shallots or onions. Sambar powder is a coarse powder made of roasted lentils, dried whole red chilies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves with regional variations including cumin, black pepper, grated coconut, cinnamon, or other spices.[4] The vegetables, tamarind pulp, sambar powder, turmeric, salt, and asafoetida are boiled together, until the vegetables are half-cooked. After the vegetables are half cooked, the cooked lentils are added and allowed to cook until the vegetables are done. Sambar is garnished with fresh curry leaves or coriander leaves. Mustard seeds, black gram, and dried red chillies, and curry leaves tempered in vegetable oil is added to the cooked sambar.