Onion Sambar
Also known as Vengaya Sambar, Ulli Sambar, Small Onion Sambar · Veg · Curries & Gravies, Kuzhambu, Sambar & Rasam
You’ll need: Pressure Cooker
Good for: Tamil New Year, Onam
Cook along
12 steps, each one filmed
A short video for every step, so your hands never have to leave the pan.
Onion sambar, or vengaya sambar: shallots, tamarind and toor dal with fresh-roasted sambar powder. Medium-spicy, serves 4, 40 minutes, step-by-step video.
Low calorie
Ingredients
19 itemsWater4 cup
Tomato1
Green Chilli1
Turmeric Powder¼ tsp
Salt2 tsp
Coriander Seeds2 tsp
Urad Dal (whole)0.50 tsp
Chana Dal0.50 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds¼ tsp
Dry Red Chilli3
Ghee2 tbsp
Mustard Seeds0.50 tsp
Curry leaves10
Asafoetida¼ tsp
Jaggery1 tsp
Coriander Leaves2 tbsp
Small Onion (Shallots)30
Tamarind2 tbsp
Toor Dal¾ cup
Contains: milk, wheat.
Nutrition
One serving, and the whole batch of 4. Worked out from the ingredients, so treat it as a close guide.
| Nutrient | Per serving | All 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Energy | 290kcal | 1160kcal |
| Protein | 11g | 46g |
| Carbohydrate | 43g | 172g |
| Fat | 9.4g | 38g |
| Fibre | 10g | 41g |
| Sugar | 11g | 44g |
Cookd masalas for small onion (shallots)
Method
- 1
Soak the tamarind by adding 1 Cup of water for 15 mins.
WaterTamarind
- 2
Wash the Toor dal.
Toor Dal
- 3
In a pressure cooker, add the washed Toor dal, tomato, green chili, turmeric powder, salt, 3 cups of water, and pressure cook it for 7 whistles.
TomatoGreen ChilliTurmeric PowderSaltSaltWater
- 4
Heat a pan, add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, Fenugreek seeds, dried red chili, and dry roast them.
Coriander SeedsUrad Dal (whole)Chana DalFenugreek SeedsDry Red Chilli
- 5
Once cool, add them to the mixer grinder and grind it into a fine powder.
- 6
Extract juice from the soaked tamarind. Keep aside.
- 7
In a Kadai, add ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chili, and let it splutter.
GheeMustard SeedsDry Red ChilliCurry leaves
- 8
Add shallots and saute till it gets translucent.
Small Onion (Shallots)
- 9
Add the ground masala powder, extracted tamarind juice, asafoetida, and simmer for 2 mins.
Asafoetida
- 10
Add the cooked Toor dal, 1 Cup of water, ¼ tsp of salt, and cook for 12 mins.
- 11
Add jaggery, coriander leaves, and mix well.
JaggeryCoriander Leaves
- 12
Onion Sambar is ready to be served with steamed rice.
Before you start
- How long does Onion Sambar take?
- 40 minutes from start to finish. That is 10 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking.
- How many people does Onion Sambar serve?
- 4. The ingredient quantities on this page rescale if you are cooking for a different number.
- Is Onion Sambar vegetarian?
- Yes. No meat, no fish and no egg.
- Is Onion Sambar spicy?
- It is medium: 2 on our scale of 3. Chilli scales gently when you change the servings, so doubling the recipe does not double the heat.
- What do I need to make Onion Sambar?
- 30 Small Onion (Shallots), ¾ cup Toor Dal, 2 tbsp Tamarind, 1 Tomato, 1 Green Chilli, 1 Dry Red Chilli, and a few more listed on this page.
- Do I need a pressure cooker for Onion Sambar?
- Yes, this one is cooked under pressure.
- How many calories are in Onion Sambar?
- About 290 a serving. The full nutrition table is on this page, per serving and for the whole batch.
Tips from other cooks
4 notes- P
PragadeeshJuly 2024
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- P
PragadeeshJuly 2024
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- S
Senthil KumarJune 2024
I'm a beginner but loved your method of teaching. It's patiently prepared video to help people like me. I cooked it and enjoying the taste. Great going Cookd team
- S
ShaliniDecember 2021
loved this
