Varutharacha sambar is a delicious Kerala style sambar with roasted coconut. While I usually make simple sambar without coconut, I occasionally make this Kerala sambar which is one of my favorite sambar recipes.
I love the roasted coconut flavor and the assortment of vegetables that goes into this dish. You could serve it with rice, idlis or dosas. Do try this simple varutharacha sambar recipe.
Varutharacha Sambar | Kerala Style Sambar Recipe
Varutharacha Sambar – Kerala Style Sambar
Category:Main
Cuisine:Indian
Author:Jiya Jesh
Serves:2-3
Prep Time:15 mins
Cook Time:25 mins
Total Time:40 mins
Lentils with vegetables in a spiced roasted coconut gravy.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup toor dal ( thuvaram paruppu / split yellow pigeon peas )
- 1 tomato, medium-sized
- 1 drumstick
- 10-12 shallots / 1 small onion, sliced
- 1 big potato
- 1 carrot, medium-sized
- lemon-sized tamarind
- 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
To Roast and Grind
- 1/2 cup grated coconut
- 3-4 dry red chillies
- 1 tsp urad dal
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida ( hing )
- 1 tbsp coriander powder
- 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds ( methi / vendayam )
- 8-10 curry leaves
For Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 dry red chillies
- A few curry leaves
- 1 tsp coconut oil
Instructions
- Chop drumsticks into 2 inch pieces. Roughly chop tomatoes. Chop potatoes and carrots into cubes.
- Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup water. Extract tamarind juice and keep aside.
- Cook toor dal along with turmeric powder in a pressure cooker, adding enough water, for around 2 whistles.
- When pressure gets released from the cooker, add shallots, drumstick, potatoes, carrot and tomatoes along with salt.
- Pressure cook for 1 whistle.
- Meanwhile take 1 tsp oil in a pan. Add dry red chillies, urad dal, asafoetida and curry leaves.
- Sauté till dal turns brown. Then add fenugreek seeds and sauté till it changes color.
- Remove and keep aside. In the same pan, add the grated coconut and sauté on medium flame till its color changes to brown.
- Make sure that you keep a close watch and not burn the coconut.
- Then add the coriander powder and sauté till it gets roasted.
- Remove and keep aside. Let this cool down.
- Grind all the roasted ingredients together to a fine paste by adding little water.
- Once the pressure releases from the cooker, add tamarind extract to the cooked dal and vegetables mixture and bring the gravy to a boil.
- Add the ground coconut paste and salt. You could add little water now based on the consitency of the sambar you require.
- Let the gravy simmer for around 6-7 minutes and remove from heat.
- For the seasoning, heat 1 tsp coconut oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds.
- When mustard seeds splutter, add dry red chillies and curry leaves and saute for a few seconds.
- Pour this seasoning over the sambar.
- Kerala style varutharacha sambar is now ready to be served with rice, dosas or idlis.
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