Sambar

Sambar is a south Indian vegetarian stew made of pulses and vegetables. A bowlful of this savory provides number of health benefits .Sambar is much more than just an assortment of delicious flavors.

CONTENT

Sambar usually contains sambar powder,a ­­­­­coarse spice mix made of roasted lentils, dried whole red chilies, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and sometimes curry leaves. Depends on regions variations include cumin, black pepper, grated coconut, cinnamon, or other spices.

The vegetables, tamarind pulp, sambar powder, turmeric, salt, are boiled together until the vegetables are half-cooked.  The dish is served garnished with fresh coriander leaves or curry leaves; also spice-scented oil is added to the cooked sambar for extra flavor.
The addition of spice-scented oils is their which made by popping mustard seeds and other ingredients in hot vegetable oil, at the end of cooking is a common Indian culinary technique and is known as tempering. A perfect combination of mustard seeds, black gram, dried red chillies, and curry leaves fried in ghee or vegetable oil is one example of numerous oil flavorings used for sambar.
This multi vegetables combination is a very healthy dish and is served hot with cooked rice or many of the South Indian dishes like idli, dosa, medu-wada, etc.
Some variations of sambar also include ingredients such as moong dal and pumpkin.
Sambar is reflective of ancient tradition of lentil-based vegetable stews in southern India. In regions that grow coconuts, notably some areas of Tamil Nadu, coastal Karnataka and Kerala, instead of sambar powder Sambar is made with a paste of fresh, grated and roasted coconuts and spices,.
In Andhra Pradesh samber is called as Pappu chaaru. Without dal and tamarind, vegetables used in preparing are few. Vegetables are onions, dosakaaya, bitter gourd and tomatoes.

SERVING

Usually samber is served with steamed rice as one of the main courses of both formal and everyday south Indian cuisine. A two-course meal of sambar mixed with rice and eaten with some sort of vegetable side dish, with yoghurt mixed with rice, is a prime southern Indian staple.
Vada sambar and idli sambar are popular for breakfast or an evening snack in the south Indian states and now at many states in india . Roadside restaurants often offer free refills of sambar for idli and vadas for their customer.
Sambar is also served as a side dish for variety of dosa

BENEFITS

1. High On Proteins

   Sambar is made of pulses . Dal is a good source of vegetarian protein. When it comes to proteins Vegetarians and vegans, often find themselves in a dearth of options. Sambar can prove to be an effective and delicious source of protein, with eggs, fish and meat out of the league. Proteins are the primary building blocks of body; they are required for muscle growth and repair, and weight loss too.

2. Full of Fibers

   In addition to proteins, pulses used in sambar which are high on fibers too. It also includes a variety of vegetables, which are rich in fibers and anti-oxidants. Traditional sambar is made up of veggies like drumsticks, pumpkin, brinjal, okra, tomatoes and various other fiber-rich seasonal vegetables. Fiber takes the longest to digest. They induce the feeling of fullness which prevents you from bingeing onto other fattening foods. High fiber foods are good for heart and cholesterol.

4. Easy to digest

   As it contains water and fiber, sambar is one of the best foods for smooth digestion. Fibre acts bulk to the tool, and the rich water content of sambar facilitates passing of stool through the intestinal walls easily.