Blogging Marathon# 53: Week 4/ Day 2
Theme: Bookmarked Recipes — Veena’s Veg Nation
Dish: Saravana Bhavan Sambar
I’ve never been to this restaurant in India, but heard a lot about it. So we went to their Edison location in NJ, but lets just say the experience is nothing to talk about. The food was ‘meh’ and the service was ‘blah’ 🙂 But I want to visit the restaurant in Chennai some time. Hopefully that day will come sooner than later.
Coming to today’s sambar, I made it on a weekend when my sister and her family were visiting us. I served it with rice and it was liked by both adults and kids. I loved the addition of ground masala with coriander and fenugreek seeds — it adds a lot of flavor along with the sambar powder. Also the addition of fried gram dal or putnalu makes the sambar so creamy and delicious.
Recipe from Veena’s recipe:
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 45 minutes |
| Servings |
serving
|
- ¼ cup Toor dal
- 1 tbsp Moong dal
- 1 1 cups Onion shallots Medium - medium, cut into chunks or use
- 1 Tomato Large , chopped
- 2 ~ 3 tbsp Tamarind pulp
- ¼ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Sambar powder (I use MTR sambar powder)
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 2 red chili Dry
- a pinch Asafoetida
- 8 ~ 10 Curry leaves
- to taste Salt
- 2 tbsps Cilantro , finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 2 chilies Dry red
- 2 tsps dal Fried grams / Putnalu
- 1 Tomato Medium , chopped
Ingredients
For the Masala Paste:
|
|
- Heat 1tsp oil in a pan, add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies and putnalu; fry till fragrant, about 3~5 minutes. Let the mixture cool, then grind to a paste along with tomato. Keep aside.
Hi Pavani. I have been to Sarvana Bhavan in Delhi and then here in the UK. The Delhi was good but not the best I had had. Of course restaurants in South do a much better job becase of the fresh and local produce and experienced chefs. I wish they had a set of rules like McD’s to be followed around the world. I never knew we can make Sambhar this way as well. roasting dal first and all, sounds really interesting. Pinned for my use dear 🙂
Yea even though I have eaten many times in their chain of restaurants, I haven’t particularly found their sambar to be that good..however many love it..so maybe..:)..still some of their dishes are quite good..However your sambar bowl has me drooling ok..very nicely presented!
Pavani during our BM meet we went to Sarvana Bhavan and I didnt find anything extraordinary. Infact on our trip to Pondi we enjoyed better S Indian food . This sambar looks very interesting and yummy , good one.
I don’t remember the taste of this sambhar at saravana bhavan as its been years since I ate there .. Bookmarking to try out …
wow..perfect sambar..I will surely try it this week..
I have never been a Saravana bhavan fan, even in Chennai. But it just took me two months away from India and I literally pushed my husband to take me there. In Edison, I found that the food is inconsistent, sometimes good and sometimes-like you said- ‘meh’. I guess the good days outnumber the bad days, else it would have been out of business long back!
Sambar looks great Pavani, Love the Sarvana Bhavan sambar
Mmm! Bookmarking this delicious sambhar.
This brings back soooo many memories of chennai and saravana bhavan. I must have eaten in almost all their outlets there and still visit it every time I go to chennai. Will try this right away!
I love to go to the Saravana Bhavan in Chennai for its atmosphere and not so much for food. When they opened the one in Edison, it was quite good and over a period of time, the quality just went downhill. It is really bad now and highly recommend people to stay away from it. This sambhar is just so delicious and I can have a couple more dosai or idli just because of this.
This is very interesting way of making sambhar.Very nicely presented.
I have not been to the branch they have here but your version looks thick and creamy, just the way I like it.
perfect comfort food!
perfect comfort food!
Lipsmacking sambar… wish i get a bowl..
Interesting version of sambar. I have heard various comments about Saravana Bhavan. Ate a few times in Salem and loved the food there.
Tasty and delicious sambar.
Interesting version of sambar…. Reminds me of the sambar idli served in saravana bhavan…