I don’t remember being a picky eater as such. But I remember despising the taste of idlis growing up (even now actually). But I did love my Daddy’s sambhaar. I would drown one idli in the rich, delicious, goodness of sambhaar to save myself from my mother’s wrath for not eating idlis which she made with so much effort. Idli sambhaar was a staple at least one weekend a month in my house, especially since my father loved it. 

They say necessity is the mother of all inventions. I remember talking to Daddy on my way to work one day, and him complaining about not having sambhaar powder at home. It was the time during the lockdown in India, sometime last year. Now my father loves his idli sambhaar (in case I forgot to mention it earlier!). So knowing him, he said as expected, “I am going to try to make my own sambhaar powder”. He raved about how good the sambhaar turned out when I spoke to him the next day, and said, “I am never buying store-bought powder again”.

Now, my husband also happens to like sambhaar. I wanted to make some for him this weekend. I don’t make it often so I do not have sambhaar powder in my pantry. I thought of asking Daddy for his recipe and giving it a try. The results were finger-licking good! It took me right back to my childhood. Only this time, it was minus the idlis and Mummy’s shoutings! 

What you will need:

How to make it:

• Add the chana, urad, and toor dal to a roasting pan and roast on a low flame until they begin to brown. Remove and set aside. 
• Dry roast the cumin seeds, methi seeds, peppercorn until aromatic. Set them aside.
• Roast the mustard seeds for about 2 minutes on a low flame. Set them aside.
• Next, roast the coriander seeds until they are aromatic and begin to brown. 
• Dry roast the curry leaves until they almost begin to dry out, on a low flame. Leave them aside.
• Add dry red chilies and roast them on a low flame until aromatic. Once done, remove and set them aside.
• Turn the flame off. Add asafetida and turmeric powder on the warm roasting vessel. Roast for about 30 seconds.
• Add all the above ingredients to a spice blender or mixer. Grind into a fine powder.
• Store in an airtight container and use as needed. It has a shelf life of about 3 months if done without moisture. You can store it in the fridge for longer use.
• Add the powder to lentils and vegetables as needed to make sambhaar to go with idlis or dosa.