Simple Sambar Recipe | Moolangi Sambar | Radish South Indian Stew 

Sambar is a staple food of South India and is known to be a healthy food with hot rice, can be served to all members of family irrespective of age. Though we have many methods of making this Sambar recipe, today I have got a very simple version for beginners or those who have not prepared this delicious and healthy recipe before. I will also post other methods and also traditional version very soon. 

Sambar is made with almost all vegetables, either with one variety of vegetable or mixed veggies, the tastes with each vegetables are unique or different as rendered by each vegetable. Most popular or tastier, I would say are drumstick sambar and moolangi sambar. 

But I should admit sambar made with mixed vegetables like potato, carrot, brinjal, drumstick, shallots render tremendous taste as well.

Most times I prefer this method of sambar as this is time saving and also light to taste. I cook the dal or lentil one side and other side I saute veggies, onions with sambar powder and cook them to 3/4,  by the time lentils are cooked parallely veggies are also cooked, I mix them together and add in tamarind and simmer for few more minutes to get this sambar done quicker - super time saving. Yes, some might think why not pressure cook vegetables along with dal / lentil, to make cooking faster, but this will over cook vegetables and tastes varies from cooking veggies in open vessels.

This is ideal recipe 'Radish South Indian Stew' for beginners or people like me, who wants to cook in hurry sometimes or always. 

Sambar powder used here is home made one, my mom sends me whenever she prepares and I can store this for about a month or so, I use the same powder for cooking many recipes like the ones I have shared in my blog - Alasande badane curry , Bassaru , Shenga Saaru

One additional recipe along with this is sweet dish for kids which is healthier too. My grand mom use to make this one when ever dal is cooked for sambar or any other recipe. Just remove some well cooked dal and mash it well then add ghee and sugar and add some cardamom powder to this and mix them together. No need for any seasoning too. This becomes a great sweet dish for kids, we all liked so much as kids - we try this even today without fail and enjoy as much as we enjoyed eating those days. We need to carry forward our family tradition by making this kind of simple traditional recipes and recreating the enjoyable moments. You can also try this simple SWEET and try with your kids. Do share in comment if you have any family treat/ recipe like this one.

Simple Sambar Recipe | Moolangi Sambar | Radish South Indian Stew  Cuisine: Indian / South Indian Cook time: 25 minutes Servings: 6

Ingredients  Toor Dal / split pigeon pea / Thogari bele - 1 cup Radish / moolangi - 1/4 kg Tomatoes - 2 small  Onions - 2 small (shallots can also be used) Sambar Powder - 2 teaspoons Tamarind - Small lemon size Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon Coconut grated - 2 teaspoons Sugar - 1/4 teaspoon  Coriander leaves  Curry leaves Tempering Oil – 1 teaspoon Mustard - 1/4 teaspoon Jeera - 1/4 teaspoon

Instructions  Cook dal with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and few drops of oil - in pressure cooker until dal is soft  Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and add mustard and jeera Once mustard splutters, add finely chopped onions and radish and saute for few minutes   Add turmeric powder and sambar powder - mix thoroughly  Add half cup water and allow to cook  Once radish is three-fourth cooked add in cooked dal along with water  Let this boil for 3 to 4 minutes and then add in chopped tomatoes  Add tamarind extract and salt, mix well and cook until veggies and tomatoes are cooked well  Add 1/4 teaspoon sugar Simmer for 5 minutes and add in Coriander leaves and Coconut grated  Cover the lid and switch off the flame  Let this rest for 5 to 10 minutes and Hot Moolangi Sambar is ready to be served with Hot rice and ghee.

Tips:

• Cook Toor dal in pressure cooker by adding a pinch of turmeric and few drops of oil 
• Adding little sugar enhances the taste of spices in the sambar

Note:

Can skip coconut if you don't like adding them

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You might also like some of the simple and traditional recipes from my blog

Coconut Sweet chutney for Idli

Traditional Upsaaru Khara

Quick and Simple Peanut ladoo

Majjige Huli - quick to make 

Traditional simple and easy Sweet Puri

Kadlepuri Uppittu

Hagalakai Bendekai Gojju / Bitter gourd and lady's finder gojju 

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How to make Simple Sambar Recipe | Moolangi Sambar | Radish South Indian Stew 

 with step-by-step pictures

Cook dal with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric and few drops of oil - in pressure cooker until dal is soft 

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of oil and add mustard, jeera, onions and radish saute and add turmeric and sambar powder 

Once radish is three-fourth cooked add in cooked dal along with water 

Let this boil for 3 to 4 minutes and then add in chopped tomatoes 

Add tamarind extract and salt, mix well and cook until veggies and tomatoes are cooked well 

Add 1/4 teaspoon sugar

Simmer for 5 minutes and add in Coriander leaves and Coconut grated 

Cover the lid and switch off the flame

Let this rest for 5 to 10 minutes and Hot Moolangi Sambar is ready to be served with Hot rice and ghee.