Sambar Powder | Homemade Sambar Podi

Sambar Powder - one of the main ingredients required to prepare sambar.  It is used especially in South Indian homes on a daily basis in sambar, kootu or even poriyals.  There are quite a few varieties of sambar powders available in the market, but nothing can beat the flavor of home made sambar powder/podi.  This can be prepared in bulk and stored in air-tight containers for up to 6 months.

Every household has its own version of sambar powder.  This one is my mom's version and now I prepare it the same way too.

Prep Time:  30 minutes

Ingredients:

• Red chillies (long variety) - 250 gm
• Coriander seeds/Dhaniya - 250 gm
• Bengal gram/channa dal - 50 gm
• Toor dal - 50 gm
• Urad dal - 50 gm
• Turmeric powder - 50 gm
• Black pepper (whole) - 50 gm
• Cumin seeds/jeera - 25 gm
• Fenugreek seeds/methi 50 gm
• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp

How To Prepare Sambar Powder:

• Dry roast red chillies along with channa dal till the dal turns golden brown, and the chillies turn a wee bit brown (DO NOT burn/blacken the chillies), remove them and keep aside.
• Next dry roast urad dhal till the dal turns golden brown and keep aside.
• Follow it up with dry roasting toor dal, jeera and pepper (Each Separately) until the dal turns golden brown, jeera will splutter and give out a nice aroma and the pepper also gives out nice aroma, remove and keep them aside.
  Next add mustard seeds, let them splutter, remove and keep aside.
• Then add coriander seeds and dry roast till they turn a light brown color and give out a nice aroma, remove and keep aside.
• Next add the fenugreek seeds and roast them till they turn light brown, remove and keep aside.
• Let all the ingredients cool down, then grind together with turmeric powder in a mixer to a fine powder.
• Allow the powder to cool down and then store in a clean airtight container.

Notes:

• You can add hing too if you like, about 1 tsp.  Add it at the time of grinding.
• Adjust red chillies quantity according to your spice level.