Drumstick Sambar

Drumstick Sambar

Drumstick Sambar

Drumstick sambar is the kind of dish that fills the kitchen with a warmth you feel before you even sit down to eat. Tender murungakkai (drumsticks) cooked in tamarind-soaked pappu, brought to life with Vibrant Sambar Podi — slow-roasted, coconut-kissed, and layered with whole spices the way it was always meant to be. This is the real thing: a proper, from-scratch sambar that earns its place at the centre of the plate.

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 25 min  |  Serves: 3  |  Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp  Vibrant Sambar Podi (VSP)
  • 2  murungakkai (drumsticks), cut into 3-inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup  toor dal (kandipappu), pressure-cooked and mashed
  • 1 small lemon-sized ball  tamarind (chintapandu), soaked in 1.5 cups warm water
  • 1  medium tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 tsp  turmeric (pasupu)
  • 1 tsp  ghee (neyyi)
  • 1/2 tsp  mustard seeds (aavalu)
  • 8-10  curry leaves (karivepaku)
  • Salt to taste 

Method

  1. Squeeze the soaked tamarind and extract the water into a deep kadai. Add the chopped tomato, turmeric, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil on medium heat and cook for 5 minutes until the tomato softens and the raw tamarind smell fades.
  2. Add the murungakkai pieces to the tamarind water. Let them cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes until the drumstick flesh is tender — press a piece gently with the back of a spoon to check.
  3. Add the Vibrant Sambar Podi and stir it through the tamarind base. Let it simmer for 3 minutes so the roasted spices and dry coconut open up into the liquid — the sambar will darken slightly and smell warm and earthy.
  4. Stir in the mashed toor dal. Add a little water if the sambar is too thick — it should flow gently, not sit stiff. Taste and adjust salt. Let it all simmer together for another 5 minutes on low heat.
  5. In a small pan, heat the ghee until it shimmers. Add the mustard seeds and let them pop, then add the curry leaves — they will crackle and release their fragrance immediately. Pour this tadka straight over the sambar.
  6. Serve hot over annam with a side of papad, or alongside idli for a full tiffin spread.

Shop Vibrant Sambar Podi →

✓ High Protein  |  ✓ High Fibre  |  ✓ Rich in Iron  |  ✓ Rich in Calcium  |  ✓ Rich in Potassium

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