Saravana Bhavan Sambar (2023)

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Published: Feb 10, 2023 by Pavani · 19 Comments

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Here is a copy cat recipe for Saravana Bhavan sambar, a popular South Indian hotel/ restaurant. This is a flavorful and delicious side dish, perfect to serve with any South Indian meal.

The addition of a freshly ground spice paste adds a lot of flavor along with the sambar powder. This is a perfect side dish to serve with either rice or idli/ dosa.

About the recipe
Ingredients
Instructions
- Make Spice Paste
- Cook dal
- Make Sambar
Expert Tips
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Recipe Card

About the recipe

Saravana bhavan is a popular restaurant in South India and has quite a few locations here in US as well. Here is a copycat recipe for one of their popular menu items, Sambar.

This creamy, spicy Saravana Bhavan sambar is easy to make and absolutely delicious. A freshly ground spice paste is made with coriander and fenugreek seeds. Along with store bought sambar powder, this makes the sambar taste absolutely amazing.

The addition of fried gram dal (putnalu) gives the dish a creamy and delicious texture. This hotel style sambar tastes great with both rice or idli/ dosa. Try this easy sambar recipe and I am sure you will love it.

Ingredients

For the details of the exact quantities of each ingredient and the list of ingredients needed, check the printable recipe card below.

Here are the ingredients you need to make this Saravana Bhavan hotel style sambar recipe:

Dal - a combination of toor and moong dal.
Onion, tomatoes, curry leaves and cilantro.
Sambar powder ~ use either store bought or homemade sambar powder.
Tamarind paste
Mustard, fenugreek & cumin seeds, dry red chilies and hing.

Here are the ingredients you need to make the spice paste:

Coriander seeds
Dry red chilies
Fenugreek seeds
Fried gram or putnalu
Tomatoes

Instructions

For the detailed instructions on how to make the recipe with exact timings, check the printable recipe card below.

Here is how to make restaurant style sambar recipe:

Make Spice Paste

Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies and putnalu; fry till fragrant. Add the chopped tomato and cook till soft.

Once cool, transfer the mixture into a blender and blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

Cook dal

Combine toor dal and moong dal in a pressure cooker. Add the water and cook until soft and mushy.

Make Sambar

Heat oil in a medium size sauce pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the onions (or shallots) and cook till turn translucent.

Add chopped tomato and cook till it gets mushy. Next add tamarind pulp and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.

Stir in turmeric, sambar powder, and mix well. Add the cooked dal and the ground masala paste. Add 1~2 cups of water to get to desired consistency. Simmer on low flame until the top gets frothy and the flavors get a chance to come together.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with idli or dosa or even rice.

Expert Tips

Make the spice paste up to 2 days in advance. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Use either shallots or red onions to make this hotel style sambar.
Saravana bhavan hotel style sambar is great to serve immediately. But its even better the next day when all the flavors have a chance to mingle.
Store leftover sambar in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat thoroughly before serving.

Here are a few more delicious South Indian dal recipes that you might like:

Instant Pot Sambar Recipe
Instant Pot Kerala Parippu Curry
Potato Lentil Stew Recipe (Aloo Masoor Dal)
Mixed Dal Rasam | Video

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