Learn how to make Methi Sambar with this easy recipe using methi leaves and a great and fresh Sambar recipe.
Today is a leap day, a once-in-4-years type thing that I didn’t want to miss so although I am in KL living out of a suitcase for the next couple days, I wanted to share something here using the very wonky Internet from my hotel room.
Any recipe that amma sends me, especially if it’s along with ‘styled’ pictures that my uncle Radha mama takes, is special. Methi, or fenugreek leaves, are not very common in Kerala and you don’t often see it in every vegetable stall. So amma grew her own (but of course). Then she made sambar with it and I think her argument was “if you can make dal with it, I can make sambar with it”. Well of course you can amma. The cherry tomatoes you see in the pic are also from her small garden.
Here’s the recipe, from her kitchen to yours.
Amma’s Methi Sambar (Vendhaya Sambar) Recipe
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 40 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 bunch fresh methi (fenugreek leaves), cleaned and chopped
1/2 cup toor dal, (pressure) cooked until soft and mushy
1 carrot, chopped (optional)
1 tomato, chopped (or a few cherry tomatoes, halved)
A handful of shallots, peeled
1 lemon-sized ball of tamarind
2 tbsp sambar powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
A pinch of sugar
Salt to taste
For tempering:
1 tsp ghee or oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp powdered jeera / cumin
A generous pinch of hing / asafoetida
A few shallots, sliced long
How to Make Vendhaya Keerai Sambar:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup warm water for 15 mins. Extract juice and discard the pulp. Transfer this to a pan along with the sambar powder, salt, turmeric powder, tomato, shallots, carrot and chopped methi leaves. In Kerala, a typical sambar consists of a few vegetables all added in together and this is how amma makes her sambar. You can omit the carrot if you want to keep it simple but the tomato is definitely recommended.
2. Bring the above mixture to boil with 2-3 cups of added water for about 15 mins. Add sugar and the cooked dal. Bring to boil and mix well. Adjust salt. Remove from fire.
3. Heat a small pan and add the ghee along with the rest of the ingredients for tempering. When the mustard seeds pop and the shallots turn a light brown, remove from fire and dunk straight into the cooked sambar. Mix well.
Note: Don’t add curry leaves or coriander leaves to this sambar. This is to ensure that the flavour of the methi is dominating. I know the picture has some coriander leaves but that’s just amma trying to make the sambar look pretty for the picture 🙂
Huge thanks, as always, to Amma and Radhmams for the Vendhaya Keerai Sambar pictures and recipe 🙂
Healthy n absolutely tasty sambar…
This sounds quite unusual..Will try it someday..Can we add dried fenugreek leaves in this
yes it should work, though the flavour will be different.
Will try this sometime,perfect with plain rice nd some Aloo bhujia,,
It's my husband's favorite sambar, I add fresh peas instead of carrots and a tsp of jaggery to balance the bitterness of methi, very motivated to blog from a hotel room..
Never added methi to sambar, should be interesting. It must be great to have fresh methi all the time!
This is a unique dish. Never thought of adding methi leaves to sambar. The snaps are lovely.
wow sambar made from organic methi leaves- Yum
Unusual sambar which is a must try with fenugreek. Got to try it soon.
Nags, Great recipe. I guess I could google about it but if u get a chance can you check with ur mom on when we should plant the seeds and related info on growing methi. Will the simple uluva seeds that we use for cooking be enough. I tried it some time ago, I am not sure it sprouted.
– Smitha
I have tried sprouting regular fenugreek seeds and it worked for me (the young plants died though due to lack of direct sun). Sometimes, the seeds are smoked or processed a bit before selling so those seeds won't work.
A day sounds too long. I sowed them directly and made sure the soil is very moist first day or two. Also, don't sow them too deep. In fact, my mom just scatters them and gently throws some soil on top, barely covering the seeds.
Thank You Nags, I tried soaking them in water for a day . Did that today morn so am yet to know the results. Do you do that or directly sow the dried seeds into the soil?
Sounds good. I will try that approach , coz I live at Cochin and the climate is the same as Ktym. So it has to work for me too. Thanks a tonne !!!
Methi in sambar is quite uncommon, but I like your mum's rationale. And I am so glad you've asked readers not to add any other herbs–it makes me angry when people add curry leaves and coriander to greens that have their own flavor!