Tiffin Sambar is a South Indian style side dish served for breakfast or dinner with tiffin items like idli, dosa, pongal, oothapam etc. With basic ingredients this tiffin sambar can be made easily. Learn to make tiffin sambar with step by step pictures for easy reference and understanding.
Tiffin sambar is mittus favorite either with idli, dosa or even ven pongal. I have shared here a basic hotel style tiffin sambar recipe with tips and tricks. I am sure you will try and share your feedback here.
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About Tiffin Sambar
Tiffin sambar is generally made with moong dal as its light perfect to pair up with tiffin items. I make this sambar with toor dal and moong dal combo too which is another version. Do try this hotel style tiffin sambar and enjoy!
Using freshly roast and grind spices makes the sambar more flavorful. Also tempering made at the last stage and adding gives it more taste and flavor so amma always insists to make tadka at the end. This tiffin sambar recipe is basic but to make more flavorful and tasty have given tips and tricks that I follow.
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Tiffin Sambar Ingredients
- Moong dal – Generally we use moong dal for making tiffin sambar but you can add half and half of moong dal with toor dal too.
- Onion, Tomato – Small onion adds taste to sambar so I always use that. Tomato is roughly chopped and sauteed well until raw smell leaves.
- Vegetables – You can use any vegetable of your choice. You can either use brinjal or potato or carrot or a combination of these.
- Tamarind – Extract tamarind water / pulp by soaking dry tamarind in hot water.
- Roast and grind spices – Freshly roast and grind spices added to this tiffin sambar gives great flavor.
- Tempering – A tempering is made with oil, mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and hing.
How to make Tiffin Sambar Step by Step
1.Dry roast the ingredients under ‘to roast and grind’ and grind it to a slightly coarse mixture, Set aside. Dry roast moong dal till nice aroma comes and is slightly browned.
2.Cool down, rinse it well and pressure cook with enough water for 4-5 whistles until its mushy. Mash it again with a ladle, set aside. In a kadai – add the onion, tomato and green chilies. Saute till tomato shrinks and raw smell leaves.
3.Then add potato and carrot along with turmeric powder and salt and saute for 2mins. Then transfer this to the cooked dal. Either you can add more water at this stage and pressure cook for 1 whistle or just cook the veggies while boiling itself. Then add the roast and grind powder.
4.Soak tamarind in warm water, discard the seeds and add this to sambar, then add jaggery. Allow the sambar to boil and thicken. Add required salt.
5.Once it is boiled and reaches the desired consistency, add coriander leaves. In a kadai add the items under ‘ to temper’ and transfer this to the sambar. Switch off. Tiffin sambar is ready.
This is perfect with idlis and dosas. Serve hot with idlis drizzled with ghee,heaven!!
Expert Tips
- Tempering at the last stage retains flavor and aroma. You can drizzle ghee while switching off. While roasting you can add 2 teaspoon of coconut too.
- Don’t add more tamarind than mentioned as it will give a more tangy taste.
- You can also add brinjal along with potato and carrots.
- Use small onion as it enhances the flavor of the sambar.
- You can replace sambar powder with freshly roasted spices.
- Replace half and half of moong dal and toor dal.
- Sometimes I even skip spice powder and make it less spicy more like a thick dal soup with vegetables suitable for young kids and elders.
Serving and Storage
Tiffin Sambar can be served with idli, dosa, pongal, kichadi etc. This sambar keeps well in fridge for 2 days, reheat and serve it.
FAQS
Is tiffin sambar and lunch sambar same?
1.No tiffin sambar generally uses moong dal and toor dal can be used. But for lunch sambar toor dal is a must to be added.
If you have any more questions about this Tiffin Sambar Recipe do mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. In addition, follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest ,Youtube and Twitter .
Tried this Tiffin Sambar Recipe? Do let me know how you liked it. Also tag us on Instagram @sharmispassions and hash tag it on #sharmispassions.
📖 Recipe Card
Tiffin Sambar Recipe | Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup yellow moong dal
- 10 small onion
- 1 tomato
- 1 medium sized potato
- 1 small carrot
- 1 green chilli
- 1 tablespoon tamarind water
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves finely chopped
- salt to taste
To roast and grind:
- 1 tablespoon chana dal
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 red chilli
To temper:
- 1 tablespoon oil / ghee
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon split urad dal
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 10 curry leaves
- 1 generous pinch hing
Instructions
- Dry roast the ingredients under ‘to roast and grind’ and grind it to a slightly coarse mixture, Set aside. Dry roast moong dal till nice aroma comes and is slightly browned.
- Cool down, rinse it well and pressure cook with enough water for 4-5 whistles until its mushy. Mash it again with a ladle, set aside. In a kadai – add the onion, tomato and green chilies. Saute till tomato shrinks and raw smell leaves.
- Then add potato and carrot along with turmeric powder and salt and saute for 2mins. Then transfer this to the cooked dal. Either you can add more water at this stage and pressure cook for 1 whistle or just cook the veggies while boiling itself. Then add the roast and grind powder.
- Soak tamarind in warm water, discard the seeds and add this to sambar, then add jaggery. Allow the sambar to boil and thicken. Add required salt.
- Once it is boiled and reaches the desired consistency, add coriander leaves. In a kadai add the items under ‘ to temper’ and transfer this to the sambar. Switch off. Tiffin sambar is ready.
- This is perfect with idlis and dosas. Serve hot with idlis drizzled with ghee,heaven!!
Notes
- Tempering at the last stage retains flavor and aroma. You can drizzle ghee while switching off. While roasting you can add 2 teaspoon of coconut too.
- Don’t add more tamarind than mentioned as it will give a more tangy taste.
- You can also add brinjal along with potato and carrots.
- Use small onion as it enhances the flavor of the sambar.
- You can replace sambar powder with freshly roasted spices.
- Replace half and half of moong dal and toor dal.
- Sometimes I even skip spice powder and make it less spicy more like a thick dal soup with vegetables suitable for young kids and elders.
Pavithra Elangovan
Love this combo ever… yummm and way too tempting. I do the same way , except I add fenugreek and little coconut for roasting and grinding part. :):)
RAKS KITCHEN
Looks so colourful and tempting, lovely pictures as usual 🙂 kalakita po!
Vimitha Anand
Love sambar and idli… wonderful combo
sowmya's creative saga
I also prepare this when I make idli..love it..
Reshmi Mahesh
Tempting combo…Perfect and yummy…
Prathibha
very colorful n yummy ,my fav ever green combo.looks delicious
Chitra
Lovely clicks. i too make the same way but i use toor dal.
jeyashrisuresh
Super tempting sambar. Inga rendu idli and one bucket sambar parcel!!. Beautiful clicks
Priti S
Looks so yum ..fab pics
revathi
Awesome Sharmi.. lovely presentation and sambhar looks super good..:))
Reva
Gajus kitchen
Like your neat and simple presentation. And the pictures are tempting..
Especially love the sambar over the idli picture.
Priya
Excellent side dish for both idlies and dosas,my fav.
Vijayalakshmi Dharmaraj
oh sharmi… u make me drool of annapoorna sambhar… i too love it very much… hope next month will visit annapoorna… n ur sambhar looks so yumm dear… love it with dosa or pongal….
yumm…yumm…
tamilsasikitchen
Wow..Lokks yum..Like to have it now…
Shanavi
Looks delicious and I loooove the spread..
dassana
my mouth is watering seeing the idli and sambar pics….
M D
Love those spongy idlis soaking beautifully in that sambar! Beauties!
divya
Wow awesome!! Looks too delectable dear 🙂
Uma Ramanujam
Love love your presentation. Looks tempting..
Vandana Rajesh
Loved the click and also your sambar bucket. The sambar looks so perfect and delicious.
Lubna Karim
That's an mouthwatering sambar recipe….
Premalatha Aravindhan
Delicious sambar,loved it…
Pinky
Lovely Presentation… Looks so yumm… Really look Hotel style…
Sangeetha
Very flavorful n tasty sambar, just finished my breakfast but ur idly-sambar pics makes me hungry 🙂 i make it same way but instead chana dal i use urad dal…will try this soon…Lovely pics as always!!
nisha
one small doubt.. do you have to cut the small onions ?
Sharmilee! :)
@Nisha : Yes just half it 🙂
Vanamala Hebbar
Lovely samabar…my fav
nothing_to_do_pregy
this is such a delicious recipe – everyone at my home enjoyed this sambar
Fareeda
Just made the sambar for dinner. Absolutely delicious!!!
Thanks, this is a keeper..
Sweetlime
Love it a lot
kathirdr
love it… its nice…
sujku
Thanks for providing this information, its was really good recipe..
RENU
i have a doubt…we add tamarind n boil it….u mentioned to add tamarind in the end?
Sharmilee! :)
I have mentioned to boil until it thickens…please check
Usha Muralidharan
I usually use toor dal for sambhar, does moong dal make a difference?
Sharmilee! :)
Yes thats the speciality of tiffin sambar, do give a try and see
vinod usha
Today I tried this sambar for lunch n received good name from my in-law 🙂 thanks for your recipe…
Kalaiya Kannu
dear sharmi, sambar romba nalla irunduchu.veetla ellarume super sonnanga.
Kalaiya Kannu
dear sharmi sambar was good ,
my kids like the sambar………..
methemom
This was the first item I tried from your cookery an year ago. That was the time when I was pregnant and craved for Indian food like hell. With no experience in cooking and no one to cook for me as I live in U.S. as I tried this, it came out so much well that I started to cry getting reminded of my mom. Hubby loved it tons. Thanks a lot! You made my day! !
SHARMILEE J
Thank you so much for all those nice words…glad to hear that the site is of help! Keep visiting!! 🙂
hema
is jaggery is optional r have to had compulsory
SHARMILEE J
I've already mentioned it as an optional ingredient..:)
Amrutha Ananthan
I tried it today…………
its superb……….
I loved it……….
thank u
Maitreyee P
Hi,
Tried this recipe today. The sambar turned out excellent!! Thanks a lot 🙂
priyaas
Sharmi reply to this i had a great doubt that 1cup measurement means in which cup
SHARMILEE J
My 1 cup measures 250ml
sheem doll
Sharmi… Semma dish… Tried it jus now… My hubbi loved it a lot…
ramya uma
nice your all recipes sharmi…………….. thank u so much………..
Priya Mahesh
Tried yesterday, came out very well. Thanks, sharmi.
lavanyaaaa
Hi Sharmi,
Tiffen Sambar looks yummy.
Please check the last point in "My Notes" section. That point is not relevant to this recipe.
Please update.
Thanks.
Kaajal Bhawnani
Hey
do we need to soak the chana dal and split yellow moong dal before roasting ??
SHARMILEE J
Please check the stepwise, I have mentioned it clearly
SHARMILEE J
Sorry I misread it, no soaking required just rinse moong dal before pressure cooking if you want.