

Onion Sambhar is a classic and flavourful gravy made with shallots or onions as you might call them and freshly ground spices.It would always be on the to do list when guests pop over in the south indian lunch menu.Though all sambhar varieties require a tamarind base and the main ingredient being sambhar powder, each recipe has a peculiar taste and aroma of its own.This sambhar is usually thick from the ones we make to serve as a side dish for idlis and dosas.Onions used here is a variety called sambhar onion or madras onion,It has other names too such as shallots and baby onion.See down below the tasty and quick way to make a rich sambhar with shallots.


Prep Time | 15 minutes |
Cook Time | 15 minutes |
Servings |
cup
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Ingredients
- 3 tsp Channa dal
- 3 tsp Coriander Seeds
- 3 Chilly Red
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp Cumin / Jeera
- 3 tsps coconut (GRATED)
- 20 Shallots
- Tamarind gooseberry a sized ball
- 1/2 tsp mustard
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek / Methi
- 2 red chilli
- 1/2 cup Tur Dal Cooked
- to taste salt
- a few curry leaves
- a few coriander leaves
Ingredients
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Instructions
- Soak tamarind in water.
- In a heavy bottomed vessel add oil ,mustard ,red chilli, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.
- Once mustard crackles add shallots and fry till pink.
- Add salt and sambhar powder.
- Add tamarind extract and boil till onions are cooked.
- Wait till raw smell goes away.
- In a pan add the ingredients given in the to roast and grind table except grated coconut and fry till golden brown.
- Dry roast now grated coconut.
- Put both of these in a blender.
- Blend coarsely.
- Add this powder to the boiling sambhar mixture.
- Wait till raw smell goes away.
- Keep cooked tur dal ready.
- Add this to the sambhar.
- Boil till flavours get amalgamated.
- Wait till the mixture thickens.
- Garnish with curry and coriander leaves.
- Onion Sambhar is ready.Serve with hot steaming rice and any curry.
Recipe Notes
Notes
- Always use fresh shallots.
- Ensure that the shallots are fried in oil before adding tamarind extract.Frying the onios gives a nice aroma.
- You can skip roast and grind powder and make sambhar plain too.