Udupi sambar | south indian

udipi sambhar
 Posted by angari raut on July 16, 2013 at 1:48am
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If you are a lover of south indian food like me ,I guess you must have tasted idli dosa in udipi resturants in
bombay and bangalore.
todays recipe is udupi sambhar which i made last weekend which changed our (both me &
husbands)  definition of the word sambar.
Udupi sambhar is an important part of udupi cuisine.
Udupi cuisine (Tulu: ಉಡುಪಿ ವನಸ್, Kannada: ಉಡುಪಿ ಊಟ) is a world-renowned cuisine of
South India.It forms an important part of the cuisine of Karnataka and takes its name from Udupi, a town
on the southwest coast of India in the state of Karnataka. Udupi cuisine has its origin in the Ashta mathas
of Udupi founded by Madhvacharya.
Udupi cuisine comprises dishes made primarily from grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits. The variety and
range of dishes is wide, and a hallmark of the cuisine involves the use of locally available ingredients.
Pumpkins and gourds are the main ingredients in sambar, a stew prepared with ground coconut and
coconut oil as its base.

The ubiquitous Indian dish masala dosa has its origins in Udupi.Saaru, a spicy pepper water, is another
essential part of the menu, and so are jackfruit, colocasia leaves, raw green bananas, mango pickle, red
chillies, and salt. Adyes (dumplings), ajadinas (dry curries), and chutneys, including one made of the skin
of the ridge gourd, are specialities.
Udupi cuisine adheres strictly to the Satvik tradition of Indian vegetarian cuisine, using no onions or
garlic, as well as no meat, fish, or shellfish.ie udupi cuisine is pure vegetaraian Udupi or Udipi restaurants
and hotels serving Udupi cuisine can be found all over India and many parts of the world. In the past,
these restaurants were run by cooks and priests trained at Krishna matha at Udupi
Coming back to the sambhar recipe  this is a sweet sour & spicy sambhar made with freshly ground spices
& coconut.
i have used regular onions along with drumsticks & other mixed veggies .but u can make
this sambar with only small sambhar onions This sambhar gets its sweetness from 
sweetness of jaggery and coconut, tang iness from tamarind and tomatoes, and heat from
roasted spices .
serve the udipi sambar with idli, dosa or steamed rice.
You can check out andhra style sambhar recipe here Ingredients:
Udupi Sambar Powder:1 tbsp Urad Dal ½ tbsp Channa Dal(Split Bengal Gram) 2 tsp Jeera/Cumin
Seeds 1 tbsp Coriander Seeds (whole dhane) ½ tsp Methi/Fenugreek Seeds 4-6 Dry Red Chilli (guntur/
Byadagi, adjust as per  taste) 1 cup Grated fresh/frozen Coconut
Sambar ingredients 2 Brinjal cut into 1 inch cubes 1 carrot cubed 1 okra chopped 1-2  Drum Sticks, cut
into 2 inch pieces 1 large Onion, thinly sliced or 10-12 small Sambar Onions(Pearl Onions) peeled 2 large
Tomatoes, cubed 2-3 Green Chillies, slit 3/4 cups Toor Dal/arhar dal/ Pigeon Pea, 1 tsp Tamarind Paste 1
tsp Jaggery (Adjust acc to taste) ½ tsp Turmeric Powder Small bunch of Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp Oil (Preferably Coconut Oil) ¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida Few Curry Leaves Salt to taste
For Tempering: 1 tsp Mustard Seeds 1 Dry Red Chilli, halved ¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida Few Curry Leaves
1 tbsp Oil, preferably Coconut Oil

Method:
1 pressure cook dal with salt hing and turmeric till soft,mash with a ravi (laddle)
2.dry roast all the ingredients listed (except coconut) under Udupi Sambar Powder for about a minute.
Mix in grated Coconut and roast it along with spices  till it turns light golden and aromatic.Cool and grind 
roasted spices with coconut to a smooth paste by adding little water at time.

3.Heat 1 tbsp of Coconut Oil in a pan and add sambar/pearl onions, hing and few curry leaves. Sauté it on
medium flame for about 2-3 minutes till they turn translucent.
4. now mix vegetables of your choice with cubed tomatoes and just enough water to cook the vegetables.
add turmeric powder, jaggery, tamarind paste and salt to taste. 

5 Cover and cook for 10-15 minutes till the vegetables are cooked well.
6.Add this ground mixture and mashed toor dal to cooked vegetables and mix well. Adjust the seasoning
and add water depending on the required consistency of Sambar.  the sambar should not be too thick or
thin. Simmer and bring the whole sambar to gentle boil (takes about 5-7 minutes).

7.now prepare tadka .Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, dry red chilli, hing and curry leaves. pour
the tempering on Sambar when mustard starts to pop and splutter.
8.Mix in finely chopped coriander leaves . Serve this delicious Udupi Sambar with Idli, Dosas or plain
basmati Rice or drink it its very tasty