Capsicum Sambar is an easy and delicious South Indian Tamil style sambar made with green bell peppers. Traditionally sambar is made with country vegetables like shallots, drumsticks, brinjals, radish, pumpkin or bottle gourd. But sambar being a lentil based curry, it tastes as good with English vegetables too. Most of the times I also end up making carrot sambar, potato sambar and of course, kudaimilagai sambar too. It tastes great with just some hot rice and a dollop of ghee, but also can be served as a side dish for idli, dosa, pongal or even chapati.
Key Ingredients
Toor Dal is one of the main ingredients to make Sambar and while it can made with any type of lentil, split pigeon peas also known as tuvar dal, thuvaram paruppu or kandi pappu is used for making sambar. Capsicum is the main vegetable used to flavor the sambar, it gives a taste similar to that of brinjal but has a unique flavor. Onions/Shallots along with Tomatoes are also used in making Capsicum Sambar. Tomatoes are the only tangy ingredient used as there is no tamarind. Garlic Cloves are a great addition to Sambar and I would always add them for flavor. Standard tempering ingredients like Mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Asafoetida and Red Chilli are a must. For full list of ingredients and exact measurements, check the recipe below.
Tips & Important Notes for Making for Making Capsicum Sambar
Kudaimilagai Sambar is a quick and easy recipe that is beginner-friendly. There are a few tips and notes that I follow while making this at home.
Capsicum or green bell peppers are really easy to cook. So, do not add them to the sambar until everything else is almost cooked. While the vegetable has to be cooked, it should retain the shape and texture to an extent.For this sambar recipe, I don’t cook my toor dal to a mush. I love a bit of texture, so I don’t mash the dal. But it is completely alright to mash up the dal and cook sambar to a smooth consistency.Using ripe tomatoes is best for this capsicum sambar recipe, as there is no tamarind extract used. To get the perfect flavor, use ripe and red tomatoes.Tempering Sambar with ghee is a huge flavor enhancer. You can either use ghee or half ghee, half oil to temper for best taste.
Substitutions & Variations
Apart from capsicum, any other English vegetable like carrots, french beans or broad beans, potatoes can also be added.Reduce the amount of tomatoes and replace it with a teaspoon of tamarind extract.Shallots add a depth of flavor and when available, use them in the place of onions.It is also possible to cook toor dal, onions, tomatoes and garlic in the pressure cooker and then add in chopped capsicum to quicken the cooking process.Instead of directly boiling the vegetables in water, they can also be roasted in a teaspoon of oil and then cooked in water for better flavor.
Storing and Serving Suggestions
Capsicum Sambar is best served hot with steamed rice and any vegetable side dishes like potato roast, raw banana fry, carrot stir-fry, cabbage stir fry or even fryums. It can also be served on the side with any South Indian breakfast like idli, dosa, Pongal or even chapati. It stays well for a few hours outside in cold climate and should be reheated after 6-8hrs for better shelf-life. It can also be stored for upto 2 days in fridge in an airtight container and can be reheated directly on stove-top or in a microwave oven.
Similar Recipes
Capsicum Sambar Recipe with Step by Step Pictures
Pressure cook ½ cup toor dal with enough water for 3-4 whistles. Let the pressure drop naturally and then, slightly mash the dal. Set aside. In a thick bottomed pot, add 1 Large Onion chopped along with 2 Medium Tomatoes chopped and 8-10 garlic cloves. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and enough water to cover the vegetables. Cook until the onions & tomatoes are soft on medium flame. Now add 1 large capsicum de-seeded and cubed. Cook covered for 5-6 mins on medium flame. Next add 1 tablespoon Sambar Powder. Cook for a couple of mins. Next add the cooked toor dal. Mix it well and add water as needed. Bring the sambar to a slow boil and continue cooking for 7-8 mins until it is frothy. Add a few fresh coriander leaves (with stalks) roughly chopped. Meanwhile in a small pan, heat 2 teaspoon oil/ghee. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and ¼ teaspoon asafoetida. As they splutter, add dry red chilli cut in two and a few fresh curry leaves. Add it to the boiling sambar. Remove from heat. Serve hot with hot rice and a dollop of ghee on top, potato fry and sago fryums on the side.
Recipe Notes
Here is the recipe for homemade sambar powder.Adjust the amount of water as per the thickness preferred.Adjust the amount of sambar powder depending on the spice preference.
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