Sambhar Vada (v) Recipe

Soak dals

Rinse the urad dal (and moong dal if using) under running water until water runs clear. Soak in 1 cup of water for 4–6 hours or overnight so they become soft and plump.

Grind batter

Drain the soaked dals thoroughly. In a wet-grinder or high-speed blender, grind the dals to a smooth but slightly coarse batter using minimal water (use a tablespoon at a time if needed). The batter should be thick and fluffy, not runny.

Whip and season

Transfer batter to a bowl. Whip vigorously for 3–5 minutes (or let the wet-grinder run a bit) to incorporate air — this yields light vadas. Add chopped onion, green chilies, grated ginger, curry leaves, cilantro, asafoetida and salt. If using baking soda, sprinkle it and fold in gently just before frying.

Heat oil

Heat 1.5–2 cups oil in a deep, heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat. To test readiness, drop a small piece of batter — it should sizzle and slowly rise to the surface.

Shape and fry vadas

Wet your palms or use a spoon to take a golf-ball-sized portion of batter. Flatten slightly, poke a hole through center with your thumb to create a donut shape. Carefully slide into hot oil; do not overcrowd. Fry in batches, turning occasionally, until golden brown and crisp, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Keep warm.

Cook toor dal

Rinse toor dal and add to a pressure cooker or pot with 2.5 cups of water and turmeric. Cook until very soft and mushy: 3–4 whistles in a pressure cooker or 25–30 minutes in a pot. Mash lightly with a spoon or whisk to a smooth consistency and set aside.

Prepare tamarind

Soak tamarind pulp in 0.5 cup warm water for 10 minutes, then squeeze and strain to extract sour water. Discard solids. (If using ready-made tamarind concentrate, dilute accordingly.)

Cook vegetables and spices

In a separate pot, heat 1 tablespoon oil or ghee over medium heat. Add mustard seeds; when they pop add fenugreek seeds (if using), urad and chana dal and fry until golden. Add curry leaves and halved shallot and sauté 1–2 minutes. Add chopped tomato, sambhar powder, red chili powder and a pinch of salt; cook until tomatoes soften, about 4–5 minutes.

Combine dal and tamarind

Add the cooked mashed toor dal to the tomato-spice mixture. Pour in the tamarind water and remaining 2 cups of water. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle simmer. Adjust water to reach a soup-like consistency (about 2.5–3 cups total broth).

Simmer and season

Add salt and jaggery, and simmer for 8–10 minutes so flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt, tamarind or jaggery to balance sour, salty and sweet. If sambhar is too thick, add hot water to reach desired consistency.

Final tempering (optional but recommended)

In a small pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add a pinch of mustard seeds and a few curry leaves until they sizzle, then pour this tempering over the simmering sambhar. Stir in chopped cilantro and turn off heat.

Serve

Place hot vadas in a shallow bowl (one or two per serving) and ladle hot sambhar over them so vadas soak slightly. Garnish with extra cilantro. Serve immediately with coconut chutney or plain rice if desired.