Varutharacha Sambar is a Kerala style sambar made with a mix of different vegetables, roasted and grinded dal, spices and grated coconut. Varutharacha sambar – roasting and grinding the ingredients differentiates this from the regular sambar. There are a lot of variations like Varutharacha Sambar Thrissur Style, Palakkad Style etc.
Varutharacha Sambar is a quick sambar made by roasting and grinding of ingredients.
About Varutharacha Sambar
Varutharacha Sambar or Kerala style sambar is one of the must items in Onam Sadya Menu. This sambar comes close in taste to our South Indian Arachuvitta Sambar with a slight variation in taste and the sambar consistency is thick suitable to accompany both with rice and idli dosa.But to me it tasted more like a hotel sambar. There are a lot of variations like Varutharacha Sambar Thrissur Style, Palakkad Style etc. I made this sambar for todays lunch with beans poriyal and rice , we had a hearty lunch.
Ingredients
- Vegetables : Vegetables determine the taste of this Kerala style sambar. In my recipe I had used drumstick and carrot. A wide variety of vegetables can be used for this sambar and some of them are Ash Gourd, Raw Mango, Okra, Brinjal, Ladies finger, Radish etc. I have tried with Ashgourd and Ladiesfinger as well and it tasted heaven.
- Coconut : Coconut makes this dish a Kerala cuisine. Fresh grated coconut is recommended for this recipe as it gets roasted well and easy for grinding as a paste with the dal and other spices. We can use desiccated coconut as well when fresh coconut is not available. If grating is difficult, cut the coconut into smaller pieces, pulse it in mixie and then use.
- Serving and Storage : Varutharacha Sambar is best with rice in meals. 3-4 ladles per serving in rice makes the taste perfect! It is one of the main item in the Onam Sadhya. It also goes well with Rice, Idly, Dosa, Pongal, Kichadi, Upma, Oothappam. Since coconut is used it is better to consume the same day. Use water generously with the leftovers of this Sambhar in the lunch and heat it in the evening to use it as a side dish for the night dinner.
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📖 Recipe Card
Varutharacha Sambar
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup toor dal
- 3/4 cup vegetables chopped I used drumstick, ashgourd, ladies finger, carrot
- a small lemon sized ball tamarind
- 10 nos small onion
- 1 no small tomato chopped roughly
- a pinch turmeric powder
- 2 teaspoon coriander leaves finely chopped
- water as required
- salt to taste
To roast and grind:
- 1/2 cup fresh grated coconut
- 3 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1.5 teaspoon chana dal
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 1/4 teaspoon hing
- 2 nos red chillies
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- a small sprig curry leaves
- 5 nos small onion
To temper:
- 2 teaspoon coconut oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 no dry red chilli
- a small nos sprig curry leaves
- a tiny pinch hing
Instructions
- To begin with first rinse toor dal well.
- Add dal along with water, salt and turmeric powder to it.Water should be atleast 1/2 inch above dal.
- .Add little water to pressure cooker. Keep the vessel inside the pressure cooker.
- Close with lid.
- Cover and pressure cook for 5 whistles.
- Let pressure release by itself. Remove the vessel.
- Mash dal well.
- The consistency should be runny.
- Heat very little coconut oil. Dry roast urad dal,channa dal, fenugreek seeds,coriander seeds, red chillies.
- Roast in low flame till golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
- Then add coconut,small onion, curry leaves and hing.If you have solid hing use it.I used the powdered one.
- Then roast till nicely browned.
- Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
- Add little water and grind it to a fine paste.Set aside
- Add hot water to tamarind crush it well and set aside.
- Heat coconut oil . Then add small onion, tomato, drumstick, carrots.. You can use any veggies of your choice.
- Saute for few mins until raw smell leaves and veggies shrink a bit.
- Add 2 cups water along with salt and turmeric powder.
- Let it start to boil.
- Cook covered for few mins until the veggies are cooked.
- Check if the veggies are cooked.
- Add cooked dal.
- Add coconut paste.
- Add tamarind water.
- Mix it well. Let sambar cook in low flame. Add water if the consistency is too thick. Check and adjust salt. Serve with hot rice and poriyal of your choice.
- Let it simmer for 5-7 mins.
- Meanwhile temper the items listed under 'to temper'.
- Add tadka to sambar. Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.
- Varutharacha Sambar ready.
Video
Notes
- After the masala paste is added the sambar tends to thicken so adjust by adding water.
- You can even add vegetables like brinja, ashgourd, potato etc. But generally adding drumstick and carrot enhances the flavour of the sambar.
- Cook vegetables according to the tenderness of the veggie.
- Adding mixed vegetables gives a great taste to the sambar.
- The sambar is slightly thick than our usual sambar.
How to make Varutharacha Sambar
1.To begin with first rinse toor dal well.
2.Add dal along with water, salt and turmeric powder to it.Water should be atleast 1/2 inch above dal.
3.Add little water to pressure cooker. Keep the vessel inside the pressure cooker.
4.Close with lid.
5.Cover and pressure cook for 5 whistles.
6.Let pressure release by itself. Remove the vessel.
7.Mash dal well.
8.The consistency should be runny.
9.Heat very little coconut oil. Dry roast urad dal,channa dal, fenugreek seeds,coriander seeds, red chillies.
10.Roast in low flame till golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
11. Then add coconut,small onion, curry leaves and hing.If you have solid hing use it.I used the powdered one.
12.Then roast till nicely browned.
13.Transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
14. Add little water and grind it to a fine paste.Set aside.The main task for Varutharacha sambar is ready.
15.Add hot water to tamarind crush it well and set aside.
16.Heat coconut oil . Then add small onion, tomato, drumstick, carrots.. You can use any veggies of your choice.
17.Saute for few mins until raw smell leaves and veggies shrink a bit.
18.Add 2 cups water along with salt and turmeric powder.
19.Let it start to boil.
20.Cook covered for few mins until the veggies are cooked.
21.Check if the veggies are cooked.
22.Add cooked dal.
23.Add coconut paste.
24.Add tamarind water.
25.Mix it well. Let sambar cook in low flame. Add water if the consistency is too thick. Check and adjust salt. Serve with hot rice and poriyal of your choice.
26.Let it simmer for 5-7 mins.
27.Meanwhile temper the items listed under ‘to temper’.
28.Add tadka to sambar. Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.
29.Varutharacha Sambar ready.Serve with rice and curry of your choice.
Expert Tips
- After the masala paste is added the sambar tends to thicken so adjust by adding water.
- You can even add vegetables like brinja, ashgourd, potato etc. But generally adding drumstick and carrot enhances the flavour of the sambar.
- Cook vegetables according to the tenderness of the veggie.
- Adding mixed vegetables gives a great taste to the sambar.
- The sambar is slightly thick than our usual sambar.
FAQs
1.What is Varutharacha Sambar?
Varutharacha means roasted and grinded. Find below the picture of the freshly grinded ingredients. It is popular in all parts of Kerala hence the name Varutharacha Kerala Sambar.
2.Is Varutharacha Sambar and Arachuvita Sambar the same?
Both are different, however, they are close in taste. Varutharacha Sambar is more of Kerala style – has more coconut & made as paste with dal and other spices. Arachuvita Sambar is more of Tamilnadu style – has lesser coconut & made as powder with dal & other spices.
3.Is Sambar and Varutharacha Sambar the same ?
No they are completely different in taste though both of them belong to Sambar family. As the name indicates Varutharacha Sambar has its ingredients freshly roasted & grinded while the regular sambar is a pressure cooked / steamed one.
4.What are the dishes that Varutharacha sambar goes well with?
Rice, Matta rice, Idly, Dosa, Pongal, Kichadi, Upma, Oothappam.
Hamaree Rasoi
Delicious and tasty looking sambar. lovely pictures.
Deepa
bils
Great snaps… love ur receipes .. keep going
Rupa Chigurupati
Did you use fresh coconut?
SHARMILEE J
Yes I used fresh coconut…
Rupa Chigurupati
Thank you. Making today.
mamatha
Dear Sharmilee,
I made this sambar today and the smell itself took me back to my childhood days where we used to have this sambar at Ayappa pooja. It came out really good. Thank you for the recipe. One more thing my child who would be going out to start her own life I think I would recommend her your blog to follow and not to miss homemade food. You put every thing in so detail even a beginner can easily follows the steps and enjoy his/her dish. Keep going Sharmilee. Wish you all good luck.
Preeti
I make very pathetic sambar but with this recipe everyone loves the sambar that i make.Thank you so much.
Sandhya Venkatesh
Tried the recipe. The taste was very good.