Sambar Masala

Name: Sambar Masala
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 12 min
Yield: Makes a small pot
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 1 tsp black mustard seeds; 1 tsp black peppercorns; ½ tsp ground turmeric; ¾ tsp fenugreek seeds; 8-10 dried Kashmiri chillies (or a hotter variety if preferred); ½ tsp asafoetida powder; 1 tbsp toor dal; 1½ tbsp white urid dal; 4 tbsp coriander seeds; 1 tbsp cumin seeds; 10-15 curry leaves; 1½ tbsp chana dal

Preparation info

Makes
a
small pot

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
15 min

Appears in

Chilli & Mint

By Torie True

Published 2021

About

Sambar masala is an integral component of the ubiquitous lentil soup eaten in South India and Sri Lanka, known as sambar. You can buy a store-bought powder but making your own is easy and so satisfying. It takes minutes to prepare, although you do need a spice grinder.

Ingredients

1½ tbsp chana dal
1½ tbsp white urid dal
1 tbsp

Asian
Asia
Sri Lanka
India
Spice Mix
Vegan
Gluten-free

Method

Put a frying pan over a low heat and when hot, add the chana, urid and toor dal. Move them around the pan for 3-4 minutes until bronzed, then pour into a bowl to cool.
Using the same pan, toast the coriander, cumin, peppercorns, black mustard seeds and fenugreek. Move them around the pan so they do not burn but their aromas are released. This will take 1 minute