Sambar powder is a spice blend used in South Indian cuisine, particularly in the preparation of sambar, a lentil-based vegetable stew. It typically contains a combination of dried red chili peppers, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, black peppercorns, mustard seeds, turmeric powder, and asafoetida. The spices are dry roasted, ground, and then used to season the sambar, adding flavor, heat, and depth to the dish. Sambar powder can also be used as a versatile spice blend in other Indian dishes.
Check out another version of sambar powder recipe.
Sambar Powder
Difficulty: EasyThe sambar powder is used for making sambar which is served with rice or idli and dosa.
Home Made Sambar Powder
20
servings5
minutes10
minutesLooking for a homemade sambar powder recipe? Discover how to make traditional sambar powder for long-term use in this step-by-step guide.
Ingredients
Red Chillies – 1 cup
Coriander seeds – ¾ cup
Black Pepper – 1 tablespoon
Jeera – 1 tablespoon
Mustard – 1 teaspoon
Fenugreek seeds – 1 teaspoon
Bengal gram dhal – 1 tablespoon
Thuvar Dhal – 1 tablespoon
Urad dhal – 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida – 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves – 4 springs
Turmeric Powder – ½ teaspoon
Oil – two to three teaspoons for frying
Directions
- In a pan, heat the oil over a very low flame. Carefully roast each ingredient (excluding turmeric and asafetida) individually, taking the time to ensure that each one is evenly toasted without burning.
- Once all the ingredients have been roasted, transfer them back to the kadai. Add the asafetida and turmeric powder, stirring everything together to ensure that the spices are evenly distributed among the roasted ingredients.
- Allow the mixture to cool down to a lukewarm temperature. Then, using a grinder, process the mixture into a coarse powder, making sure to retain some texture.
- Transfer the freshly ground powder to an airtight container, ensuring that the lid is securely fastened. This will help maintain the potency and freshness of the flavors.
- Your homemade Sambar powder is now ready to be used in various dishes. Stored properly, it will be a valuable addition to your kitchen for weeks to come. Enjoy!
Thank you very much for the recipe. Are you using a rice cooker cup for measuring here?
In this recipe, I used a tea cup slightly bigger than the cooker measuring cup.
I tried this sambar Powder yesterday for sambar, Taste was delicious.. even it goes well with idli and dosa by mixing with gingelly oil .. Thank you.
Hi Prabha,
It is interesting to note that this podi is goig well with idli/dosa also. Nice try.
Hi Kamala
Could you pl post the recipe for rasam powder?
Hi Kamala Mam
I asked for a homemade rasam powder recipe long before. Could you pl post it soon? Thanks.
I am tried some recipes from your site. All came out well. I really appreciate your effort.
Awesome kamalamma. I was searching for sambar powder recipe. But most of the sites gave recipe in gm, and for large quantities. This quantity suits for me as I make only for 2 persons, and I dont have access to any rice mills in this place.
Thank you Jagadha for writing. Hope you like the taste.
Nice recipe.I always get sambar podi from my Mom.Now I got the recipe. Will you please post the recipe for Bisi bele bhath powder.
Hi madam,
Nice post. Can you please tell the shelf life of this powder
You can keep it for a couple of weeks.
Hi mam,
I have tried lots of recipes from ur site everything turned out very good.i have a doubt here does the store bought sambar powder contain dhal ?so can we make this powder omitting the toor dhal n Urdu dhal ?as I think it will thicken the sambar.so while making sambar ,for half cup toor dhal what amt of sambar powder should we add .please reply mam.
Regards,Hameeda.
Thank you for your writing. Store bought sambar powder contain dal, but the quantity may differ Brand to Brand. Some may not contain dal. For half cup thuvar dal, you can add one tablespoon sambar powder. However, if you want more spice, you can increase the quantity.