About this recipe
Sambar powder is a flavorful South Indian style spice powder, prepared by grinding an exquisite mix of basic Indian spices like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, dry red chilies, fenugreek seeds, with curry leaves. I agree to be sent email.
Sambar masala powder has several variations across south India. Some have a higher proportion of chilies while some have a strong aroma but not too spicy. Udupi sambar powder is one key variation from Karnataka. A powder like this comes in very handy to make sambar with any vegetable that you prefer. With this, you can make plain sambar or a sambar with coconut (“Koddel” in local dialect). Sambar powder, a.k.a “sambar podi” and “sambar masala” is a staple ingredient in most South Indian Kitchens. I have used this sambar masala for stir fry (palya), upma, rice recipes apart from curries.
Ingredients notes
All the ingredients contribute to the nice aroma in this recipe but here are the important ones… Coriander seeds: Coriander or cilantro seeds are very commonly found at most ethnic grocers. Sautéing them releases a ton of flavor instantly. Be sure to use whole seeds to get fresh flavors. Red chilies: If you prefer a spicy version, then add one more than what I have shown. I used more byadagi red chilies because it gives nice color as well as aroma to the sambar powder. Lentils: Urad dal and chana dal are other lentils that make up the mass in sambar powder and also contribute to the protein content. Curry leaf: Loaded with tons of nutrition, one stalk with 10-15 leaves is all I used for this recipe. It gives an authentic Udupi taste to the sambar powder. Check the detailed measurements and the complete list of ingredients below in the recipe card.
How to make this recipe
Place a big vessel over medium heat. As it heats up, saute the Urad dal (black gram) and chana dal(bengal gram) until they turn golden brown and place it aside. Saute cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds on medium heat until they turn light golden and place them aside. Sauté (with 1 teaspoon coconut oil) the coriander seeds for 30 seconds and add dry red chilies. Continue to stir until you get a golden yellow hue. Place it aside and saute the dry, washed curry leaves until they turn crispy. Switch off the heat. Place all the spices in a big tray and allow them to cool and blend them in a coffee blender or a high-power blender to a fine texture. Store it in an air-tight container to keep the freshness intact.
Top tips
Use fresh spices to get the best-tasting powder. Be sure to pick the right kind of dry red chilies. If you cannot find the dry byadagi red chilies, try similar red (dried) chilies. Using curry leaves in this recipe is optional. That’s because you could always add fresh curry leaves when you prepare the sambar or curry.You can saute the chilies with coconut oil, but I sauteed them with coriander seeds because it tempers the burning odor from red chilies.I used 5 regular red chilies and 15 byadagi chilies. Use any variety of your choice.Feel free to use 1 whole dry turmeric root to get bright colors. This recipe yields about 240 grams of sambar masala powder.
If you like this sambar masala recipe why not try these recipes
Kashaya powder recipeBrinjal Sambar Recipe - Instant Pot + Stove TopGreen Beans Sambar - Udupi KoddelRasam Powder Recipe
For more delicious vegan recipes such as this sent directly to your inbox, just subscribe to my newsletter.
📖 Recipe
UPDATE NOTE: This recipe was originally published in March 2016. It was updated on February 2021, with new photos and text.
