Tiffin Sambar is a South Indian style side dish served for breakfast or dinner with tiffin items like Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Uthappam etc. This tiffin sambar can be made easily with basic ingredients. Learn how to make Tiffin Sambar with step by step pictures for easy reference and understanding.
Tiffin with idli, dosa or ven Pongal sambar is Mittu’s favourite. I have shared here a basic hotel style tiffin sambar recipe with tips and tricks. I am sure you will try to share your feedback here.
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About Tiffin Sambar
Tiffin sambar is generally made with moong dal as its lightness is perfect to match with tiffin items. I also make this sambar with toor dal and moong dal combo which is another version. Must try this hotel style tiffin sambar and enjoy!
Using freshly roasted and ground spices makes sambar more delicious. Also, adding the tadka made at the last stage enhances its taste even more, hence Amma always insists on making the tadka at the end. This tiffin sambar recipe is basic but to make it more delicious there are tips and tricks which I follow.
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Tiffin Sambar Ingredients
- Bean lentil – Generally we use moong dal to make tiffin sambar, but you can also mix half moong dal with toor dal.
- Onion, Tomato – Small onion enhances the taste of sambar so I always use it. Roughly chop the tomatoes and fry them well until the raw smell goes away.
- vegetables – You can use any vegetable of your choice. You can use either brinjal or potato or carrot or a combination of these.
- Tamarind – Soak dry tamarind in hot water and extract the tamarind water/pulp.
- Roast the spices and grind them. The freshly roasted and ground spices added to this tiffin sambar give a very good taste.
- Tadka – Tadka is made from oil, mustard, urad dal, cumin, curry leaves and asafoetida.
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, keep aside. Dry roast the moong dal until it smells good and turns light brown.
2. Cool, wash well and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles with enough water until it becomes soft. Mash it again with a ladle and keep it aside. – Add onion, tomato and green chilli in a pan. Fry until the tomatoes shrink and the raw smell goes away.
3. Then add potatoes and carrots, turmeric powder and salt and fry for 2 minutes. Then add it to cooked dal. You can either add more water at this stage and pressure cook till 1 whistle or cook the vegetables while boiling. Then add roasted and ground powder into it.
4.Soak the tamarind in hot water, remove the seeds and add it to the sambar, then add the jaggery. Let the sambar boil and thicken. Add salt as required.
5. Once it boils and reaches the desired consistency, add coriander leaves. Put the things under ‘for tempering’ in a kadhai and add it to the sambar. Switch off. Tiffin sambar is ready.
It is perfect with idli and dosa. Drizzle with ghee and serve hot with idli, heaven!!
Expert Tips
- Applying tadka in the last step preserves the taste and aroma. You can sprinkle ghee while switching off. You can also add 2 spoons of coconut while frying.
- Do not add tamarind more than the recommended quantity as it will result in a more spicy taste.
- You can also add brinjal along with potatoes and carrots.
- Use small onion as it enhances the flavor of sambar.
- You can add freshly roasted spices instead of sambar powder.
- Substitute moong dal and toor dal in half.
- Sometimes I also omit the spice powder and make it less spicy, such as thick lentil soup with vegetables, which is suitable for small children and adults.
serving and storage
Tiffin sambar can be served with idli, dosa, pongal, khichdi etc. This sambar keeps well in the refrigerator for 2 days, reheat and serve.
general questions and answers
Is tiffin sambar and lunch sambar the same?
1. Moong dal is generally not used in any tiffin sambar and toor dal can be used. But for lunch one must add sambar toor dal.
If you have any further questions about this Tiffin Sambar Recipe Mail me at sharmispassions@gmail.com. Also, follow me Instagram, Facebook, pinterest ,youtube And Twitter .
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📖 Recipe Card
Tiffin Sambar Recipe | Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar Recipe
Tiffin Sambar is a South Indian style side dish served for breakfast or dinner with tiffin items like Idli, Dosa, Pongal, Uthappam etc. This tiffin sambar can be made easily with basic ingredients. Learn how to make Tiffin Sambar with step by step pictures for easy reference and understanding.
Material
- half and half cup yellow mung dal
- 10 small onion
- 1 Tomato
- 1 medium sized Potato
- 1 Small Carrot
- 1 Green chilly
- 1 tablespoon tamarind water
- 1 tablespoon green coriander finely chopped
- salt to taste
For roasting and grinding:
- 1 tablespoon Chickpea lentil
- 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
- 1 red chilli
To get angry:
- 1 tablespoon oil/ghee
- 1 small spoon mustard seeds
- one and a half small spoon break urad dal
- one and a half small spoon Cumin
- 10 Curry leaf
- 1 generous pinch hing
Instruction
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Dry roast the ingredients under ‘To roast and grind’ and grind it to a slightly coarse mixture, keep aside. Dry roast the moong dal until it smells good and turns light brown.
-
Cool, wash well and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles with enough water until it becomes soft. Mash it again with a ladle and keep it aside. – Add onion, tomato and green chilli in a pan. Fry until the tomatoes shrink and the raw smell goes away.
-
Then add potatoes and carrots, turmeric powder and salt and fry for 2 minutes. Then add it to cooked dal. You can either add more water at this stage and pressure cook till 1 whistle or cook the vegetables while boiling. Then add roasted and ground powder into it.
-
Soak the tamarind in hot water, remove the seeds and add it to the sambar, then add the jaggery. Let the sambar boil and thicken. Add salt as required.
-
Once it boils and reaches the desired consistency, add coriander leaves. Put the things under ‘for tempering’ in a kadhai and add it to the sambar. Switch off. Tiffin sambar is ready.
-
It goes perfectly with Idli and Dosa. Drizzle with ghee and serve hot with idli, heaven!!
notes
- Applying tadka in the last step preserves the taste and aroma. You can sprinkle ghee while switching off. You can also add 2 spoons of coconut while frying.
- Do not add tamarind more than the recommended quantity as it will result in a more spicy taste.
- You can also add brinjal along with potatoes and carrots.
- Use small onion as it enhances the flavor of sambar.
- You can add freshly roasted spices instead of sambar powder.
- Substitute moong dal and toor dal in half.
- Sometimes I also omit the spice powder and make it less spicy, such as thick lentil soup with vegetables, which is suitable for small children and adults.
nutrition Facts
Tiffin Sambar Recipe | Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar Recipe
Quantity per serving (100 ml)
calories 263
Calories from Fat 54
% daily value*
thick 6 grams9%
Saturated Fat 0.4 grams3%
Trans Fat 0.02 grams
polyunsaturated fat 2g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
sodium 55 mg2%
potassium 398 mg11%
carbohydrate 42 grams14%
fiber 8 g33%
sugar 3 grams3%
protein 12 grams24%
Vitamin A 3074iu61%
vitamin C 123mg149%
calcium 81 mg8%
Iron 3mg17%
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
