I am always on the look out for shortcuts to simplify cooking and this instant sambar powder caught my attention. This mix is perfect when travelling and you are craving for home cooked food. You can also pack it for kids going to college. I was skeptical at first, but the taste is pretty close to the authentic sambar and is very useful when you just want to make a little bit as a side dish for dosa, idli, etc.

Also, due to the addition of rice the sambar thickens up beautifully. You might have to play around with the ingredient quantity to arrive at your desired taste. My first batch turned out to be quite sour and overpowered with coriander seeds. I adjusted the quantity of dals and reduced the tamarind and it was perfect for us. Do try it out and amaze your family . Recipe adapted from here.

My Notes
I initially tried adding the tamarind along with the rest of the ingredients, but the tamarind did not fry properly. So, I started frying it separately.

I adjusted the dals from the original recipe because the coriander seeds were overpowering. Feel free to adjust ingredients according to preference.

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Pictorial
1. First fry tamarind until brittle.2. In half tsp of oil, fry the dals until golden brown.3. In the same pan, fry everything else except turmeric.4. Cool and grind along with tamarind and turmeric.5. Heat oil and add splutter mustard seeds. Add this to the ground powder. Store in airtight container once the mix cools down.
Instant sambar powder ready.
Enjoy!