Theme: Go Nuts
Dish: Peanut Sambar
For the last day of this week's blogging marathon, I have a sambar made with peanuts. It is a unique recipe which has no lentils (dal), but the usual spices associated with sambar. I saw the recipe on a Telugu cooking show and tried it for myself.
Like I said, it's quite unusual to make sambar with some kind of a dal, so I was intrigued on how it would taste. I looked up online to see if there were any similar recipes and most of what I saw had dal along with whole peanuts. In this recipe peanuts are ground to a paste and visually you can't even tell what it is made of until you taste the dish.
This peanut sambar turned out delicious, the combination of spices gives it the 'traditional sambar' taste with a peanutty flavor in the background. I added only onion and tomato, but I think I will probably add more vegetables next time I make this dish. It is great to serve with rice, idli or dosa.
Peanut Sambar
Ingredients
For Peanut Sambar paste:
- ¼ cup Peanuts
- ¼ cup coconut Dry grated
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 2 tsps Cumin seeds
- 3 ~ 4 chilies Dry red (adjust as per spice preference)
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
For the Sambar:
- 1 Onion Large , thinly sliced
- 2 Tomatoes Ripe , chopped
- 2 ~ 3 tbsps Tamarind paste
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- To taste Salt
For Tempering:
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 8 ~ 10 Curry leaves
- 2 ~ 3 cloves Garlic , crushed
Instructions
Make the Peanut sambar paste:
- Dry roast peanuts, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, dry red chilies and fenugreek seeds until fragrant, about 3~4 minutes, on low flame. Add the grated coconut and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool, then grind to a smooth paste adding enough water.
Make Sambar:
- Heat oil in a saucepan, add mustard and cumin seeds. Once the seeds start to splutter, add curry leaves and crushed garlic. Cook for 30 seconds.
- Next add the chopped onion and cook till it turns translucent, about 3~4 minutes.
- Add the tomatoes and turmeric. Cover and cook till tomatoes are tender and mushy, about 4~5 minutes.
- Add the ground peanut paste, tamarind paste and salt. Add enough water to get to desired consistency. Simmer on medium flame for 6~8 minutes for the flavors to mingle. Serve hot with rice.
Ritu Tangri
It is really insane! Sambar without dal....I just love pea nutty flavor. This sambar with peanuts must be wondrous...will have to make to see the outcome 🙂
Kalyani
dunno why the comment didnt go the previous 3 times ... this is a stunner of a recipe, Pavani - would love to try this .. what Telugu show do u watch ? I can understand a fair bit of Telugu , would love to catch up on this if possible
harini-jaya
Sounds very flavorful, Pavani. Shall try it next time.
Priya
Can smell the flavor of this dal from here, without dal the sambar looks fingerlicking.Delicious.