Make Sambar Powder
Sambar Podi, or sambar powder, is a an important ingredient found in South Indian kitchens. It is prepared by roasting and grinding various types of Indian spices. You can probably find sambar powder pre-made in stores or Indian cuisine stores in many brands and variations of flavours. However, by making it at home, you can make smaller batches or large quantities of fresh-tasting sambar powder and also adjust ingredients of the powder according to your desired taste. Sambar powder is the main ingredient used to make Sambar, a popular south Indian gravy. Sambar is normally eaten with rice, lentil donuts (vadas), rice cakes (idlis) and rice crepe (dosas).
Contents
Ingredients
Method 1:
- 400 g dried red chilli peppers
- 200 g dried coriander seeds
- 2 - 3 sprigs curry leaves
- 100 g fenugreek seeds
- 100 g channa dhal
- 50 g cumin seeds
- 50 g black peppercorn
- 5 g whole asafoetida or hing powder
Method 2:
- 400 g dried red chilli peppers
- 200 g coriander seeds
- 2 - 3 sprigs curry leaves
- 100 g fenugreek seeds
- 100 g channa dhal
- 50 g cumin seeds
- 50 g black peppercorn
- 5 g whole asafoetida or hing powder
Steps
Dry Roasting Sambar Powder
Dry roasting means heating up ingredients on a frying pan without oil. Making sambar powder by dry roasting is a quick way to create a more mild flavoured version of the powder.
- Gather all the ingredients in separate bowls. It's important you are using dried red chilli peppers and dried coriander as opposed to fresh versions. If you dry roasted the fresh versions of these ingredients, the sambar powder would not be as spicy and make it more difficult to grind them into a fine powder.
- You will be using each bowl to cool each ingredient after dry roasting. Alternatively, you can mix all your ingredients in a large bowl after roasting. However, it may take longer to cool if you mix all the ingredients together after dry roasting.
- Dry roast each ingredient in a wok or pan on low heat. In general, you should dry roast each ingredient separately until fragrant or until it becomes slightly browned. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to keep the ingredients moving and prevent it from burning. Dry roasting times will vary depending on each ingredient.
- If you are using dried hing, or asafoetida, powder, dry roast it for 2 minutes with the coriander seeds. If you are using whole asafoetida, save that ingredient for later and just dry roast the coriander seeds alone for 2 minutes.
- For dried red chilli peppers, cumin seeds, peppercorn, dry roast them each and separately for 2 minutes.
- Dry roast the fenugreek seeds for 5 minutes.
- For the channa dhal, dry roast it for 10 minutes.
- If you are dry roasting large quantities of each ingredient, dry roast them in batches.
- After dry roasting each ingredients, set them aside to cool.
- Fry the whole piece of asafoetida and curry leaves separately in oil on low heat. Add a dash of cooking oil in your pan. Then fry the asafoetida for 2 to 3 minutes until it changes to a light yellowy colour. Remove the asafoetida. Then in the same oil, fry your curry leaves until they are dry and change into a dark, crisp colour.
- It's important you are using a whole piece of asafoetida when frying in oil and not the powder. The powder can be dry roasted with the coriander seeds.
- Let your ingredients cool completely. Cooling down the ingredients prevents wet lumps from forming during grinding. A good wait time would be about 15 to 20 minutes for everything to completely cool down.
- Grind the ingredients together to make a fine powder. Grind everything in a food processor. If you are making a large batch, you may need to grind everything in batches.
- Alternatively, you can bring your ingredients to a grinder mill or grinding store where they will have large machines to grind the ingredients for you.
Sun Drying Sambar Powder
- Sun dry all ingredients in direct sunlight for 4 to 5 hours. Spread out your ingredients in newspaper-covered large pans such as a cookie sheet or table. Put the ingredients in place in a place that is dry and under direct sunlight such as in front of a window.
- You will not need to dry the asafoetida.
- If you are using fresh red chilli peppers or fresh coriander seeds, you will need to dry these ingredients in advance for about a week.
- Fry the whole piece of asafoetida in oil on low heat. Add a dash of cooking oil in your pan. Then fry the asafoetida for 2 to 3 minutes until it changes to a light yellowy colour. Remove the asafoetida from the pan.
- It's important that you are using a whole piece of asafoetida when frying in oil and not the powder. If you are using an asafoetida powder, you can add it directly into the sun dried ingredients during grinding.
- Let your ingredients cool completely. Cooling down the ingredients prevents wet lumps from forming during grinding. A good wait time would be about 15 to 20 minutes for everything to completely cool down.
- Grind the ingredients together to make a fine powder. Grind everything in a food processor. If you are making a large batch, you may need to grind everything in batches.
- Alternatively, you can bring your ingredients to a grinder mill or grinding store where they will have large machines to grind the ingredients for you.
- Finished.
Tips
- Adjustments to the ingredients can be made to suit individual taste. For instance, you can increase the quantity of red chillies to make your sambar powder more spicy.
- There are different variations to sambar powder. You can add additional ingredients like turmeric roots or seed, or toor dhal.
- Store your sambar powder in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
