Sambar (dish)
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| Type | Spiced curry stew |
|---|---|
| Place of origin | India |
| Region or state | South India |
| Serving temperature | Hot |
| Main ingredients | Tamarind broth, lentils, vegetables |
| 139 kcal (582 kJ) | |
Sambar (Tamil: [saːmbaːɾ] , romanized: Sāmbār) is a lentil-based vegetable stew, cooked with pigeon pea and tamarind broth.[1] It originates in South Indian cuisine and is popular in large parts of India and beyond.
History
[edit]The recorded history of Sambar is vague.[2] According to food historian K. T. Achaya, the earliest extant reference to sambar, as "huli", can be dated to the 17th century in present-day Karnataka.[3][4] Kanthirava Narasaraja Vijaya, a 1648 text by the Kannada scholar Govinda Vaidya, mentions huli (literally "sourness"), a curry similar to the modern sambhar, made with vegetables and toor dal.[2]
According to a legend, Sambar was first made in the Thanjavur Maratha kingdom during the reign of Shahuji I (r. 1684–1712).[2] The legend states that during a visit by Sambhaji, a king or his royal chef substituted kokum with tamarind in the traditional amti (lentil soup), and added some vegetables to it: the resulting curry was named sambar or sambhar after Sambhaji.[5][6] Sourish Bhattacharyya, in The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine (2023), notes that the fathers of Shahuji I and Sambhaji were half-brothers and not on good terms, which reduces the credibility of this legend. However, Bhattacharyya adds that it is possible that Shahuji named the dish after Sambhaji as part of his attempts to establish cordial relations between the two families.[2]
Sambar was introduced to Sri Lankan cuisine in the 20th century, along with many other South Indian dishes.
Regional variations
[edit]In southern states of India namely Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, Sambar is made using different vegetables and fruits along with lentils or coconut. Each region has its own version of making sambar; even though the same vegetables are used, the condiments and ingredients, and the method differ regionwise.[7] In Tulu speaking areas of coastal Karnataka coconut is predominantly used to prepare Koddel (Sambar). The grated coconut is ground with spices to form a paste which is added to vegetables boiled.[8]
British Indian Restaurant (BIR) version
[edit]The 'Samber' is a staple of British curry houses, where it is served in the form of a thicker sauce than the original, with meat added to the dish. Typically it is hot, sour, and, like the original dish, contains lentils.[9]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^ Mathai, Kamini (26 September 2014). "Sambar: the great Tamil dish of Maharashtrians". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ a b c d Sourish Bhattacharyya (2023). "Sambar". In Colleen Taylor Sen; Sourish Bhattacharyya; Helen Saberi (eds.). The Bloomsbury Handbook of Indian Cuisine. Bloomsbury. p. 330. ISBN 9781350128651.
- ^ G. J. V. Prasad (2017). "Idli, Dosai, Sambar, Coffee: Consuming Tamil Identity". In Shweta Rao Garg; Deepti Gupta (eds.). The English Paradigm in India: Essays in Language, Literature and Culture. Springer Singapore. pp. 98–99. ISBN 978-981-10-5332-0. Archived from the original on 26 October 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2018.
- ^ K.T. Achaya (1994). Indian Food: A Historical Companion. Oxford University Press. p. 119. ISBN 9780195628456.
- ^ "The story of how popular South Indian Sambar was invented; recipe inside". The Times of India. 23 May 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2024.
- ^ "A tale of two sambhars". The Hindu. 30 March 2012. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
- ^ Hebbars kitchen. "Sambar Recipe South Indian Vegetable Sambar in Cooker – 15 Mins". Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
- ^ DNA,English Daily Newspaper. "The sambar saga: On the provenance and many variations of a south Indian staple". Archived from the original on 4 August 2023. Retrieved 5 August 2023.
- ^ "Samber Restaurant Curry Recipe". 11 March 2022.
