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.
Versions
Nobody has published a sambar here yet. When somebody cooks one from a video and publishes it, their version appears in this list, with a link back to the original.
What goes in it
Each one opens everything else made with it.
pigeon peas
drumstick pods