South Indian Sambar with Zucchini
Frankly, I had eaten Zucchini only as a sautéed vegetable until I decided to make sambar with it. And it tasted so delicious!
This sambar is a regular south Indian sambar made with Zucchini as the main vegetable along with other ingredients. However, you could include other vegetables such as carrots, drumsticks, potatoes, or green beans along. Since Zucchini cooks faster, I haven’t pressure-cooked it. Otherwise, I usually pressure cook vegetables and dal for sambar. For the sambar powder, I used a homemade one, but otherwise I usually love to use the MTR sambar powder.
I love eating this sambar with plain white rice with a dollop of ghee on top and pickles on the side. If you are not a rice person, you could pair it with quinoa, millets, or Idly. Do try this sambar with Zucchini if you haven’t already – you will love it!
Check out these sambar recipes here – Radish sambar , Parsnip sambar , Avarekalu huli
If you are looking for more delicious, easy-to-follow recipes, follow Swaadista on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook.
Zucchini Sambar
Equipment
- Pressure cooker
- Cooking pan with lid
Ingredients
For Pressure cooking
- 120 gm toor dal washed
- 250 ml water
For Sambar
- 2 medium zucchini chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3 tbsp sunflower oil
- ¼ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- curry leaves
- Hing a pinch
- 2 dried red chilies broken into halves
- ¼ tsp minced ginger root optional
- 1 clove crushed garlic optional
- ½ medium red onion sliced
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 1 tbsp tamarind extract
- salt to taste
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tbsp sambar powder
- 2 tbsp cilantro finely chopped
- water as needed for consistency
Instructions
- Add toor dal and water into the pressure cooker, and cook until dal soft and well-cooked. Allow the pressure to release naturally, then mash the dal and keep aside until used.120 gm toor dal, 250 ml water
- Heat oil in a cooking pot on medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds, allow them to pop and sizzle.3 tbsp sunflower oil, ¼ tsp mustard seeds, ½ tsp cumin seeds
- Addcurry leaves, Hing, 2 dried red chilies
- Add and sauté on low-medium heat until onion translucent.¼ tsp minced ginger root, 1 clove crushed garlic, ½ medium red onion
- Add and sauté for a minute. Cover and cook zucchini on low-medium heat until 70% cooked. (If you feel the zucchini needs water to cook, add about 50 ml)2 medium zucchini, 1 medium tomato, ¼ tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste
- Add and combine.1 tbsp tamarind extract
- On low heat, add the sambar powder and mix well.1 tbsp sambar powder
- Immediately transfer cooked dal, pour water as per desired consistency and combine well.
- Cover and cook the sambar on low-medium heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it starts boiling and becomes frothy.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro and turn the heat off.2 tbsp cilantro
- Serve delicious Zucchini Sambar with rice, quinoa, millets or Idly. Enjoy!
Notes
- Add salt, tamarind extract and sambar powder according to your taste and preference.
- With zucchini, you can include other veggies like carrot, potato, beans, etc.
If you tried this recipe, tag your food recreation on my Instagram @swaadista and let me know how you liked it!
Happy cooking and happy eating <3
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