Vegetable Sambar
Sambar is the comforting lentil and vegetable stew eaten across South India, ladled over idli and dosa at breakfast or mixed with rice at lunch. This version keeps the lentils light, lets small onions and a mix of vegetables carry the dish, and relies on a good shop-bought sambar powder for its warmth.
By Vegan Cook. Published 1 November 2026
Ingredients
Serves 4.
- 1/4 cup (50 g)masoor dal (split red lentils), or toor dal (split pigeon peas)
- 250 mlwater, for cooking the dal
- 10 to 12small onions (shallots), peeled and left whole
- 150 gpumpkin, peeled and cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1carrot, cut into 3 cm chunks
- 1 smallbrinjal (aubergine), cut into chunks, optional
- 6 to 8ladies finger (okra), cut into 3 cm pieces, optional
- 2 tspsambar powder, shop-bought
- 1 tspsalt, or to taste
- 600 mlwater, for the sambar
- 1 tsptamarind paste, which you can leave out for a milder sambar
- 2 tbspfresh coriander leaves, chopped
- 2 tbspcoconut oil or mustard oil, for the seasoning
- 1 tspmustard seeds
- 1 tspcumin seeds (jeera)
- 2 tspurad dal (split black lentils)
- 12 to 15curry leaves
- 2 clovesgarlic, thinly sliced, optional
Cookware
- Small saucepan or pressure cooker, for the dal
- Large heavy-based pan
- Wooden spoon
Method
Read each step end-to-end before starting.
- 01
Cook the dal
Rinse the dal in a sieve until the water runs clear. Simmer it in the 250 ml of water for 15 to 20 minutes, until it is completely soft and breaking apart, or pressure cook it for 2 whistles. (A whistle is the burst of steam a pressure cooker releases once it reaches pressure.) Mash it lightly with the back of a spoon and set it aside. Sambar needs only a little dal, which thickens it and gives it body without taking over from the vegetables.
- 02
Make the seasoning
Heat the oil in the large pan over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and wait until they crackle and pop, then add the cumin seeds and the urad dal and stir until the dal turns light golden. Add the curry leaves and the garlic, if using, and stand back for a moment, as the leaves will spit. This step, known as tempering, fries whole spices in hot oil so that they release their flavour into it.
- 03
Cook the onions and vegetables
Add the small onions and fry for 3 to 4 minutes, until they turn glossy and begin to soften at the edges. Add the pumpkin and carrot, followed by the brinjal and okra if you are using them. Pour in the 600 ml of water and stir in the sambar powder, salt and tamarind paste. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until the vegetables are tender but still holding their shape.
- 04
About the okra
Okra releases a natural thickness as it cooks, which gives sambar a silky body that many people love. If you prefer it without that texture, fry the okra pieces separately in a little oil for 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, and stir them in at the end instead.
- 05
Add the dal
Stir in the cooked dal and simmer for another 5 minutes, so that the flavours come together. Sambar should be pourable, like a thick soup, so add a splash of hot water if it has become too thick.
- 06
Finish and serve
Taste and adjust the salt, then scatter over the coriander leaves. Serve hot with idli or dosa, or mix it with steamed rice.
Serve with
Allergen profile
Every recipe here is fully plant-based. Cross-contamination risk depends on your kitchen, so check all packaging.
Swap note
Shop-bought sambar powder usually contains hing (asafoetida), which is commonly blended with wheat flour, so this sambar is labelled as containing gluten. Gluten-free sambar powder and hing are available, so check the label. Brinjal (aubergine) and okra are optional because some people react to them; leave them out and add more pumpkin and carrot instead. Free of soy and nuts.