Varutharacha Sambar | Fried Coconut Sambar

Let’s talk about a traditional dish from Kerala today – Varutharacha sambar or sambar with fried coconut. It is actually an incredibly tastier version of the original sambar.

Now, do you know that sambar is not actually a traditional dish of South India? It originated in the northern parts of India, Maharashtra to be exact. When it reached South India, we added an extra ingredient to this delicious curry. Asafoetida. There are around 50 different varieties of sambar which has made it one of the glorious dishes of Indian cuisine.

This varutharacha sambar is popular in the northern parts of Kerala. And moreover, it has become an integral part of Onam sadya. The addition of fried coconut makes this dish unique. It’s all about lentils and vegetables cooked in coconut and spices. .

The main ingredient of sambar is toor dal or split pigeon peas. You could also use masoor dal or red lentils as I did. So after you cook the dal, add vegetables of your choice and ground coconut paste. For that extra awesomeness, top with tempered spices, and of course some coriander leaves if you like. Classic. Healthy. Perfect. Side dish.

Apart from the vegetables in the ingredients list, here are few varieties you could use in this recipe:

Pumpkin
Okra
Raw plantain
Cucumber
Long beans
Ash gourd
Bottle gourd
Ivy gourd
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Drumsticks
Yam

Here are all the ingredients to make this fabulous Kerala style varutharacha sambar. I haven’t included asafoetida in the picture as you’ll need only a pinch to flavor the curry. To make the tamarind pulp, soak tamarind in water and then strain to remove all the hard bits. As with the vegetables, I had around 5 cups of veggies including green beans, carrots, potatoes, zucchinis, onions, tomatoes, cauliflower and green chilies. The type of lentils I’ve used is masoor dal or red lentils. You could also use tuvar dal or split pigeon peas.

The first step is to make the ground coconut paste. To do that, heat 3 tsp oil in a frying pan and fry chana dal, fenugreek seeds and urad dal. Then fry coconut until they start to change color. Now add all the ground spices (coriander, red chili powder, asafoetida) and shallots. Fry for another 2-3 minutes. leave to cool. Add a little water and grind to a very smooth paste.

Now we can start making the sambar. First, place lentils along with water in a large pan and cook until mushy.

Add vegetables except tomatoes, tamarind pulp, coconut paste, salt and enough water. When the veggies are nearly done, add in tomatoes. Cook again. Now make the tempered spices and add it to the curry.

More Vegetable Curry recipes:

• Sambar
• Veg Korma 
• Aviyal 
• Olan (Ash gourd in coconut milk)
• Vegetable Stew
• Ulli Theeyal (Shallots in Coconut Sauce)
• Onion Curry (Ulli Curry)
• Pumpkin Erissery (Pumpkins in Coconut Sauce)

Yield: 4

Varutharacha Sambar | Sambar with Fried Coconut

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Flavorful varutharacha sambar (sambar with fried coconut) is a great side dish for rice. It's also one of the most popular Onam sadya dishes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 cup grated coconut
• ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1 tbsp chana dal (split Bengal gram)
• 3 tsp urad dal (black gram)
• 3 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp sambar powder (optional)
• 1 cup lentils (tuvar dal or masoor dal) (see notes)
• 2 potatoes, cut into cubes
• 2 tomatoes, cut into cubes
• 1 large zucchini, cut into cubes
• 1 carrot, cut into cubes
• 1 small onion, cut into cubes
• 8-10 green beans, cut into 4cm pieces
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1 small lemon sized tamarind, soaked in ½ cup water
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 2 dried red chilies, broken into small pieces
• Salt to taste
• Water
• A sprig of curry leaves

Instructions

1. To make tamarind pulp: Squeeze out all the pulp from the tamarind, and strain. Discard all the hard bits. Set aside.
2. To make coconut paste: Heat 3 tsp oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add chana dal, urad dal and fenugreek seeds. Fry for a minute. Add grated coconut, and sauté, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until coconut starts to change color. Stir in ground coriander, red chili powder and shallots and a pinch of asafoetida. Sauté, stirring, for another 1-2 minutes or until coconut turns golden. Remove from heat and leave it to cool. Place it in a food processor, and add a little water to grind to a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. To make varutharacha sambar: Rinse lentils well under cold running water. Place them in a large saucepan. Add enough water to cover the lentils, and place over medium-high heat. When lentils are cooked, add all vegetables except tomatoes. Stir in coconut paste and tamarind pulp. Add enough salt and water to cook the vegetables. Cook, covered, for 5-6 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.
4. Add tomatoes. Add more water if needed to make thick sauce. Cook, covered, for another 2-3 minutes. Sprinkle with asafoetida and heat through. Remove from heat.
5. To make tempered spices: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, red chilies and curry leaves. Saute, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until shallots turn golden brown. Remove from heat.
6. Stir the tempered spices into the curry. Garnish with more curry leaves, if you like.

Notes

-Traditionally, tuvar dal is used to make sambar. But I’ve opted for masoor dal (red lentils) as they cook quickly.
-If you want to use okra, add in along with the tomatoes.
-I used around 5 cups of vegetables in the sambar.

Nutrition Information

Yield

4

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 447Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 0mgSodium 276mgCarbohydrates 75gFiber 15gSugar 29gProtein 12g