Dish · indian

Sambar

A lentil stew thickened with pigeon peas and soured with tamarind, cooked with vegetables like drumstick and finished with a tempering of curry leaves. Served with rice, idli, or dosa.

Where it comes from

The dish is common across South India, with regional versions in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka that differ in vegetable choice, thickness, and the specific sambar powder used. No single version is considered the definitive one.

What cooks argue about

Cooks argue over vegetable choice and how thick the sambar should be, since Tamil versions tend to run thinner and Kerala versions thicker with more vegetables.

Nobody has published a sambar recipe yet. The page stays out of search until one exists, which is the rule for every thin page here.