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    Home » Blogging Marathon » Saravana Bhavan Sambar

    Saravana Bhavan Sambar

    Published: Jun 25, 2015 · Modified: Jun 18, 2020 by Pavani · Leave a Comment

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    Blogging Marathon# 53: Week 4/ Day 2
    Theme: Bookmarked Recipes -- Veena's Veg Nation
    Dish: Saravana Bhavan Sambar

    For the 2nd day of cooking from Veena's space, I made this perfect Saravana Bhavan sambar. Saravana bhavan is a popular restaurant in Chennai and this sambar replicates the one served there.

    Restaurant style 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.

    Restaurant style Sambar

    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:

    Restaurant style Sambar

    Saravana Bhavan Sambar

    Saravana Bhavan sambar -- copy cat recipe of the popular South Indian restaurant sambar. 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.
    Author: Pavani
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    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 45 mins
    Total Time: 55 mins
    Course: Side Dish
    Cuisine: tamil
    Servings: 6 servings

    Ingredients

    For Spice Paste:

    • 1 teaspoon Oil
    • 1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
    • 1 teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
    • 2 Dry red chilies
    • 2 teaspoon Fried gram/ dalia/ putnalu
    • 1 Medium Tomato, chopped

    For Sambar:

    • ¼ cup Toor dal, rinsed and drained
    • 1 tablespoon Moong dal, rinsed and drained
    • 1½ cups Water, plus more as needed
    • 1 tablespoon Oil
    • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
    • ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek seeds
    • 2 Dry red chili
    • ⅛ teaspoon Asafoetida/ hing
    • 8 ~ 10 Curry leaves
    • 2~3 Medium Shallots, cut into thin slices*
    • 1 Large Tomato, chopped
    • 2 ~ 3 tablespoons Tamarind pulp
    • To taste Salt
    • ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
    • 1½ teaspoons Sambar powder
    • 2 tablespoons Cilantro, finely chopped

    Instructions

    Make the Masala Paste:

    • Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds, dry red chilies and putnalu; fry till fragrant, about 3~4 minutes.
      Once cool, transfer the spices into a blender. Add the chopped tomato and blend to a smooth paste. Keep aside.

    Make Sambar:

    • Combine toor dal and moong dal in a pressure cooker. Add the water and cook until soft and mushy.
      6~8 minutes in Instant Pot on high pressure.
      2~3 whistles in a stove top pressure cooker.
    • Heat oil in a medium size sauce pan on medium heat. Add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Once the seeds start to splutter, add the onions (or shallots) and cook till turn translucent, about 3~4 minutes.
    • Add chopped tomato and cook till it gets mushy. Next add tamarind pulp and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil.
    • Stir in turmeric, sambar powder, and mix well. Add the cooked dal and the ground masala paste. Add 1~2 cups of water to get to desired consistency. Simmer for 6~8 minutes on low flame until the top gets frothy and the flavors get a chance to come together. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with idli or dosa or even rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 16mg | Potassium: 209mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 544IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @cooks_hideout or tag #cookshideout!

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    Comments

    1. Nupur UK-Rasoi

      June 25, 2015 at 6:38 am

      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 🙂

      Reply
    2. Srivalli

      June 25, 2015 at 11:31 am

      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!

      Reply
    3. vaishali sabnani

      June 25, 2015 at 2:46 pm

      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.

      Reply
    4. Kalyani

      June 25, 2015 at 2:56 pm

      I don't remember the taste of this sambhar at saravana bhavan as its been years since I ate there .. Bookmarking to try out ...

      Reply
    5. praba bubesh

      June 25, 2015 at 5:01 pm

      wow..perfect sambar..I will surely try it this week..

      Reply
    6. Rajani S

      June 25, 2015 at 7:45 pm

      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!

      Reply
    7. sushma

      June 26, 2015 at 11:17 am

      Sambar looks great Pavani, Love the Sarvana Bhavan sambar

      Reply
    8. Archana Potdar

      June 28, 2015 at 7:33 am

      Mmm! Bookmarking this delicious sambhar.

      Reply
    9. Sowmya :)

      June 29, 2015 at 4:15 pm

      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!

      Reply
    10. Sandhya Ramakrishnan

      June 30, 2015 at 2:18 pm

      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.

      Reply
    11. Sapana Behl

      July 01, 2015 at 9:30 pm

      This is very interesting way of making sambhar.Very nicely presented.

      Reply
    12. Varadas Kitchen

      July 01, 2015 at 9:58 pm

      I have not been to the branch they have here but your version looks thick and creamy, just the way I like it.

      Reply
    13. Global Tastes & Travels Inc.

      July 02, 2015 at 1:16 am

      perfect comfort food!

      Reply
    14. Global Tastes & Travels Inc.

      July 02, 2015 at 1:16 am

      perfect comfort food!

      Reply
    15. Priya Suresh

      July 03, 2015 at 3:47 pm

      Lipsmacking sambar... wish i get a bowl..

      Reply
    16. Harini-Jaya Rupanagudi

      July 06, 2015 at 3:59 pm

      Interesting version of sambar. I have heard various comments about Saravana Bhavan. Ate a few times in Salem and loved the food there.

      Reply
    17. sneha datar

      July 09, 2015 at 2:43 pm

      Tasty and delicious sambar.

      Reply
    18. Ruchi Indu

      July 10, 2015 at 6:19 am

      Interesting version of sambar.... Reminds me of the sambar idli served in saravana bhavan...

      Reply

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    2 shares