Beetroot sambar or cukandar sambar is a spicy and tangy lentil Curry. Beetroot Sambar is one of the traditional lentil curry generally served with steamed rice and other vegetable side dishes. Beetroot has a beautiful color and has a sweet taste. It gives its beautiful colour and slight sweetness to the sambar. Moreover Tamarind paste and sambar powder added gives nice tangyness and spice to the sambar. Here goes the recipe… (now with updated pics). Checkout other sambar recipes served with steamed rice.
Beetroot Sambar / Cukandar Sambar
Beetroot Sambar / Cukandar Sambar is a colorful and healthy side dish with rice or roti.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
To Pressure Cook
- ½ Cup Tur Dal /Toor Dal
- 1 Cup Water
- ½ Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 8 Small Pods Garlic
- 1 Chopped Tomato
- 8 Shallots
To Tamper
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- ½ Teaspoon Mustard
- ½ Teaspoon Urad Dal
- ½ Teaspoon Asafoetida
- A Spring Curry Leaves
- 3 Dry Red Chillis
Other Ingredients
- ½ Cup Chopped Beetroot
- 5 Shallots
- 1 Tablespoon Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
- ½ Teaspoon Fenugreek
- 1 Cup Water
- Salt To Taste
Instructions
- Peel beetroot and chop them.
- Soak tamarind in water for 20 minutes.
- Add the ingredients listed under “To Pressure Cook” and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure cooker to release on its own. Open the pressure cooker.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add in oil, add in Cumin seeds and Fenugreek seeds and allow it to splutter.
- Add in Curry leaves and onion and saute them.
- Add in beetroot and saute them for few minutes.
- Add in the tamarind paste cook until the beetroot gets tender.
- Now take the dal mixture in the pressure cooker. Mash the dal using a hand blender or a spatula.
- Add in the beetroot mixture into the dal mixture. Add salt to taste.
- Add in Sambar powder. Cook until the masala blends well. Heat a pan add in the ingredients listed under “To Tamper” section and saute them. Add the tampering mixture on top of the sambar.
- Beetroot Sambar is now ready to serve.
Notes
- Mashing the Dal after pressure cooking is the key step for smooth sambar and retaining the nutrition in the dal.
- The sambar is not too water or too thick so adjust the consistency by adding water accordingly.
Step by Step Photos on how to make Beetroot Sambar / Cukandar Sambar
- Peel beetroot and chop them. Soak tamarind in water for 20 minutes.
- Add the ingredients listed under “To Pressure Cook” and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Allow the pressure cooker to release on its own. Open the pressure cooker.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add in oil, add in Cumin seeds and Fenugreek seeds and allow it to splutter. Add in Curry leaves and onion and saute them. Add in beetroot and saute them for few minutes.
- Add in the tamarind paste cook until the beetroot gets tender. Now take the dal mixture in the pressure cooker. Mash the dal using a hand blender or a spatula. Add in the beetroot mixture into the dal mixture.
- Add salt to taste. Add in Sambar powder. Cook until the masala blends well. Heat a pan add in the ingredients listed under “To Tamper” section and saute them. Add the tampering mixture on top of the sambar.
- Delicious Sambar is now ready to serve.
Nava K says
Thank you for the idea. I am going to add beets for the next round of sambar.
Excellent Share Anns:) Healthy tooo...surely will try your recipe...Thanks for sharing !!!
This is a unique sambar dish... interesting idea and I loved it's color