Varuthu Aracha Sambar (Kerala Special Sambar)

Varuthu Aracha Sambar

Bored of regular sambars?? Then try this kerala special sambar.. Have heard a lot about this sambar.. Thought to give it a try.. The first basic difference is that use of coconut.. As the name suggests, we have to roast and grind all the ingredients for sambar masala.. You can even prepare it without any vegetables.. Goes well with rice, Idli or Dosa.. You will surely love this aromatic sambar.. Here goes the recipe..

Ingredients:

To Roast and Grind:

Red Chilly                 - 1

Coriander Seeds        - 1 tsp (malli)

Fenugreek Seeds       - 1 tsp  (vendhayam)

Channa Dal               - 1 tsp  (Kadalai Parupu)

Grated Coconut        -  a handful

Tamarind                  - 1 tsp

Others:

Toor Dal                - 1/2 cup (Thuvaram Parupu)

Small Onions         - 6-7

Carrot                     - 1

Turmeric Powder   - 1/4 tsp

Salt                         - As required

Tamarind                - a lemon size ball

Mustard Seeds        - 1 tsp (kadugu)

Fenugreek Seeds     - 1 tsp (vendhayam)

Curry Leaves          - few

Coriander Leaves    - few

Oil                           - As required

Procedure:

• Cook well Toor dal with little turmeric powder. asafoetida and gingely oil.
• Extract juice from tamarind. 
• Roast everything except coconut and tamarind in a pan. Once it gets browned add coconut and tamarind.. Saute it for 2 minutes and switch off the flame. Grind it once it gets cool down.
• Heat oil in  a pan.. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds..When mustard seeds splutter, add small onions and curry leaves.. Once it get translucent add chopped carrot.
• In about next 3-5 minutes, add the paste which we grinded before.. 
• Saute it for some 2 minutes.. Then add tamarind extract,  turmeric powder and salt..
• Switch off the flame in another 5 minutes.. Add the pan contents to the cooked dal.
• Add enough water and cook the sambar for a whistle.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve!!

Madras Sambar

Madras Sambar

Here is my another post for sambar.. Its Madras Sambar..  Madras sambar has a unique taste and flavor.

I have a friend who is from chennai,. She always used to say that she don't like vegetarian hotel sambars and she will also emphasize that something is missing in those sambars.. I tasted the sambar which is prepared at her home once and it did really tasted different and awesome.. Here is the authentic recipe especially for chennaities!!!   

Ingredients: (Recipe For 2)

Toor Dal                 - 1/2 cup 

Small Onion           - 6-8

Brinjal                    - 1

Carrot                     - 1

Potato                     - 1

Capsicum               - 1

Tomato                  - 1

Tamarind               - a lemon size ball

Salt                        - As required

Turmeric Powder  - 1/4 tsp

Mustard Seeds       - 1 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds   - 1 tsp

Coriander Leaves  - few

Curry Leaves         - few

Oil                          - As required

To Dry Roast And Powder:

Coriander Seeds   - 1 tsp  (Malli)

Channa Dal          - 1/2 tsp (Kadalai Parupu)

Cumin Seeds        - 1/2 tsp (Seeragam)

Red Chilli             - 2

Asafoetida            - a pinch (Perungayam)

Procedure:

• Cook well Toor Dal, with litttle turmeric powder, asafoetida and Gingelly oil.
• Chop all the vegetables.
• Extract tamarind juice from tamarind. Dry roast and powder everything under ' To Dry Roast And Powder'.
• Heat oil in a cooker. Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. When they splutter add small onions and curry leaves.
• When onions are translucent. add chopped carrot, potato and capsicum.
• Saute for some time, once they are cooked little, add chopped tomato.
• Saute them well and add cooked toor dal to the cooker.
• Add tamarind extract, enough salt and turmeric powder.
• Add also the ground powder. Mix them well and cook for a whistle.
• Check for salt and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve it with rice or any Breakfast Recipes..
• My other sambar recipes are Hotel Sambar and Varuthu Aracha Sambar..

Hotel Sambar

Hotel Sambar

My husband was a pure Non-Vegetarian before our marriage. He started eating vegetarian dishes only after our marriage. He is very bad ,eating sambar and he will do all the tricks to escape from sambar whenever I prepare it. But when we go to vegetarian hotels like Saravanan Bhavan, Vasantha Bhavan, he would have asked for second cup, before i finish mine.   Once i tried this hotel sambar recipe, he was very excited and he liked it very much.. kumudha Happy Annachi!!! 

Here is that  scrumptious sambar..

Ingredients: (Recipe for 2)

For Sambar:

Toor Dal                  - 1/2 cup    (Thuvaram Parupu)

Brinjal (Egg Plant)  - 3

Drumstick                - 1

Small Onions           - 7 or 9

Tomato                    - 1/2 

Tamarind                 - 1 lemon size ball

Green Chilli             - 1

Salt                          - As required

Turmeric Powder    - 1/2 tsp

Coriander Leaves     - few

Oil                            - for seasoning

To Grind:

Chopped Coconut - 2 tbsp

Roasted Gram       - 2 tsp   (Pori Kadalai)

Tomato                 - 1 and a half

Sambar Powder    - 2 tsp

For seasoning:

Oil                     - As required

Mustard Seeds  - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds     - 1 tsp

Urad Dal            - 1 tsp

Dry Chilli           - 1

Curry Leaves      - few

Procedure:

• Cook well toor dal , with little turmeric powder, asafoetida and a tsp of gingely oil.
• Chop Brinjal and Drumstick into little bigger pieces. Peel and wash small onions. Chop tomatoes.
• Grind all the things mentioned under 'To Grind'.
• Extract juice from tamarind.
• Add ground coconut-tomato paste and all vegetables to cooked toor dal. Add tamarind juice, salt and turmeric powder to it.. Add enough water and cook all together for 1 whistle.
• Do the seasoning and add it to the sambar.
• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it!!!

Moong Dal Sambar ( Pasiparupu Sambar)

Moong Dal Sambar  (Pasi Parupu Sambar)

Any idea of how much calories ,1 cup of Cooked Moong Dal gives?? Just 100 calories.. One more thing.. i am not talking about those fried moong dal which are sold in packets..

Here is the healthy way of including Moong dal.. Its Moong Dal Sambar!! 

Its very easy to digest.. you can give even this to babies.. and the recipe follows..

Ingredients:

Moong Dal          - 1/2 cup   (Pasi Parupu)

Big onion            - 1

Tomato               - 1 big

Salt                     - As required

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Sambar Powder  - 2 tsp

Curry leaves        - Few

Coriander Leaves- Few

Oil                       - As required

Procedure:

1. Dry Roast Moong Dal in a cooker.
2. When it leaves nice aroma, remove from the flame.
3. Heat oil in the same cooker.. Add finely chopped onions and curry leaves.
4. Once onions become translucent add moong dal.
5. After some time add chopped tomatoes.
6. Then add turmeric powder and sambar powder
7. Add enough water to the gravy and close the cooker lid.
8. When it whistles once, reduce the flame and switch it off in another ten minutes.
9. Add salt at last.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Quick Tips:

• Prepare the gravy little thick and use it as a side dish for chapthi.. Tastes awesome!!!
• No need to add tamarind for pasiparupu sambar..

Varuthu Aracha Mullangi Sambar (Radish Sambar)

Varuthu Aracha Mullangi Sambar (Radish Sambar)

Here is another healthy way of including Radish in our diet.. You can prepare Radish sambar, just like other sambars. Since all the spices are roasted and ground, this is the tastiest sambar..  The spices will overcome the radish flavor also.. So you can have this sambar, without any worries..

Here is the recipe..

Ingredients: (Recipe For 2)

Toor Dal                 - 1/2 cup

Radish                     - 1 (medium size)

Small Onions          - 5 to 8

Tamarind                - small lemon size ball

Mustard Seeds        - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds     - 1/4 tsp

Red Chilli                - 1

Turmeric Powder    - 1/4 tsp

Gingely Oil             - 1 tsp

Asafoetida               - a pinch

Curry Leaves           - few

Oil                            - As required

To Roast And Grind:

Coriander Seeds       - 1 tsp

Red Chilli                 - 2

Channa Dal               - 1/2 tsp

Chopped Coconut     - 2 tbsp

Raw Rice                   - 1/2 tsp

Procedure:

• Roast and Grind everything under ' To Roast And Grind'.
• Cut Radish into little bigger pieces. Put chopped radish in a box, add little water and cook it along with Toor Dal.  Cook well Toor Dal with little turmeric powder and gingely oil.
• Extract tamarind juice from tamarind.
• Heat oil in a pan.  Add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
• When they splutter, add hing and curry leaves.
• Add also small onions.Saute till its cooked.
• Then add cooked dal and radish.
• After two minutes, add ground masala.
• Add also tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt and enough water.
• Cook everything well together for some more time and serve it hot.
• Enjoy with Rice or with any Breakfast Recipe of your choice.

50 Vegetarian Side Dish Recipes

Here is a collection of 50 delicious Vegetarian side dish recipes. I have collated the recipes in a single post for your easy reference.  Just click on each picture to view the recipe.  Here you go!!

Potato:

Baby Potato Gravy

Methi Aloo:

Poori Potato Masala (1):

Aloo-Mint Gravy:

Poori Potato Masala (2):

Aloo-Gobi Gravy:

Aloo-Soya Gravy:

Kuruma:

Vegetable Kurma:

Green Vegetable Kuruma:

Navarathna Kuruma:

Vegetable Jaipuri Subzi:

Vegetable Stew:

Paneer:

Chili Paneer:

Paneer Butter Masala:

Mushroom:

White Mushroom Kuruma:

Mushroom Pepper Fry:

Spicy Mushroom Gravy:

Mushroom Makhani Gravy:

Button Mushroom Masala:

Pepper Mushroom Dry:

Chettinadu Mushroom And Peas Gravy:

Kadai Mushroom:

Mushroom Vindaloo:

Mushroom Masala:

Chick Peas:

Kadalai Curry:

Spicy Channa Masala:

Channa, Potato and Capsicum Subzi:

Black Channa Gravy in fish kuzhambu style:

Channa Masala:

Pepper Chole:

Sambar:

Tiffin Sambar:

Varuthu Aracha Mullangi Sambar:

Madras Sambar:

Hotel Sambar:

Varuthu Aracha Sambar:

Moongdal Sambar:

Soya Chunks:

Soya Chunks Gravy:

Meal Maker Kuzhambu:

Soya Chunks Sukka:

Salna:

Plain Salna:

Restaurant Style Plain Salna:

Brinjal:

Brinjal Masala:

Brinjal and Capsicum gravy:

Capsicum Masala:

Mirchi Ka salan:

Senai Kizhangu Pulisery:

Vellai Pattani Kuruma:

Babycorn Butter Masala:

Cauliflower Gravy:

Till ka khatta: