If you love the comforting aroma and bold flavors of South Indian sambar served in Udupi hotels, then this recipe is for you. This authentic Udupi hotel style sambar is made with a homemade sambar masala, fresh vegetables, perfectly cooked toor dal, and a fragrant tempering that instantly transports you to a traditional South Indian restaurant.
Unlike regular home-style sambar, Udupi sambar has a balanced sweet, sour, and spicy taste, achieved by using tamarind, jaggery, and freshly roasted spices. The secret lies in the freshly ground masala and the technique of cooking vegetables so they absorb all the flavors without turning mushy.
This sambar pairs beautifully with idli, dosa, vada, rice, or uttapam and tastes even better the next day. Let’s make hotel-style sambar at home without any store-bought masala.
Ingredients
For Sambar
- Toor dal (pigeon peas) – ½ cup
- Oil – 2 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
- Dry red chilies – 2
- Asafoetida (hing) – ¼ tsp
- Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
- Onion – 1 (cut into large pieces)
- Potato – 1 (cubed)
- Brinjal (eggplant) – 1 (cubed)
- Drumstick – 1 (cut into pieces)
- Pumpkin – 200 g (cubed)
- Tomato – 3 (chopped)
- Green chili – 1 (slit)
- Ginger – ½ inch (chopped)
- Curry leaves – 2 sprigs
- Tamarind extract – ½ cup
- Jaggery – 1½ tbsp
- Salt – as per taste
- Water – as needed
For Homemade Sambar Masala
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
- Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
- Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
- Dry red chilies – 5
- Black peppercorns – 10
- Bengal gram (chana dal) – 1 tbsp
- Urad dal – 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
- Dry coconut (grated) – 2 tbsp
For Tempering
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
- Asafoetida – 1/8 tsp
- Curry leaves – 1 sprig
- Dry red chilies – 2
Method
Step 1: Cook the Toor Dal
- Wash and soak ½ cup toor dal for 15–20 minutes.
- Add soaked dal to a pressure cooker with 1 cup water.
- Pressure cook for 3 whistles or until soft.
- Let the pressure release naturally, then mash the dal well and keep aside.
Step 2: Prepare Homemade Sambar Masala
- Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan on low flame.
- Add coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal, and peppercorns.
- Roast until chana dal turns golden.
- Add dry red chilies, grated dry coconut, curry leaves, and hing.
- Roast gently on low flame until aromatic.
- Cool completely and grind into a fine powder. Keep aside. This freshly ground masala is the key to hotel-style flavor.
Step 3: Cook the Vegetables
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep pot.
- Add mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- Add dry red chilies, ginger, green chili, curry leaves, and hing.
- Add turmeric powder and chopped onions.
- Add all vegetables at once – potato, brinjal, drumstick, pumpkin, and tomatoes.
- Mix well so vegetables absorb the spices.
- Add tamarind extract and jaggery.
- Pour 1½ cups water, cover, and cook on medium heat until vegetables are just tender.
Step 4: Combine Everything
- Add the prepared sambar masala to the cooked vegetables.
- Add mashed toor dal and salt as per taste.
- Mix gently without breaking vegetables.
- Simmer on low heat for 10–12 minutes until flavors blend well.
Step 5: Final Tempering
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a small pan.
- Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
- Add dry red chilies, curry leaves, and hing.
- Immediately pour the tempering over the sambar.
- Mix well and turn off the heat.
Serving Suggestions
- Serve hot with idli, dosa, medu vada, uttapam, or steamed rice
- Add a spoon of ghee while serving with rice for extra flavor
- Pair with coconut chutney for a complete South Indian meal
This Udupi hotel style sambar recipe brings restaurant-quality taste straight to your kitchen using simple ingredients and traditional methods. Once you try this homemade sambar masala, you’ll never go back to store-bought versions.
Tips & Tricks for Perfect Udupi Sambar
- Always cook vegetables slightly firm; overcooking spoils texture.
- Use jaggery instead of sugar for authentic South Indian taste.
- Roast masala on low flame only to avoid bitterness.
- Tamarind quantity can be adjusted based on sourness.
- Sambar tastes better after resting for 1–2 hours.
- Do not skip curry leaves—they give signature aroma.
