Sambar (Lentil & Vegetable Stew)

Sambar is one of the most widely eaten dishes in South India, appearing daily on home tables and in restaurant thalis from Chennai to Bengaluru to Thiruvananthapuram. Its origin is often traced to the kitchens of the Maratha rulers of Thanjavur in the seventeenth century, though the dish has since evolved into distinct regional versions — Udupi sambar, Kerala's sambar with coconut, and Andhra's spicier variant — each shaped by local produce and taste. Despite these differences, the combination of toor dal, tamarind and vegetables remains constant across all of them.

NNWA uses sambar to teach how a single legume-based stew can anchor an entire day's protein and fibre intake in a largely plant-based diet. The dish also demonstrates ingredient flexibility as a nutrition principle: because almost any vegetable can go into sambar, it is an easy way to introduce variety and colour into a weekly meal plan without changing the base recipe or its preparation time significantly.

A common mistake is adding tamarind before the vegetables are tender, since the acidity slows further softening; vegetables should be simmered until nearly done before the tamarind extract goes in. Sambar powder should also be cooked out properly, simmered for several minutes after adding, or the sambar will taste raw and harsh rather than rounded.

Vegetables can be varied freely by season — okra, shallots, ash gourd and beans are all traditional choices — and a small amount of grated coconut, ground into a paste, is added in Kerala-style versions for a milder, creamier sambar. For a thinner, idli-style sambar, simply add more water at the final stage.

Sambar keeps well and often tastes better a day after cooking, once the tamarind, spices and dal have had time to meld; many households make a large batch specifically to serve across two or three meals with different accompaniments — idli one day, rice the next. This make-ahead quality makes it as practical for busy weeks as it is traditional.