Idli sambar, a vegetarian recipe from India

Name: Idli sambar
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 300 g idli rice or short-grain rice; 100 g skinned urad dal; ½ tsp fenugreek seeds; 1 tsp salt; 150 g toor dal; 1 tbsp tamarind paste; 2 drumsticks, cut into 5 cm lengths; 1 onion and 1 tomato, in wedges; 2 tbsp sambar powder labelled gluten free; ½ tsp turmeric; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 1 tsp mustard seeds; 10 curry leaves

Idli sambar

Local name: இட்லி சாம்பார்

Steamed cakes of fermented rice and urad dal, served with a tamarind sambar of toor dal and drumstick.

Published on 28 May 2026·Updated on 26 September 2026

VeganGluten-free#rice#fermentation#lentils#steamed#tamil

Method

Rinse the rice and urad dal apart. Soak the rice for 5 hours, and the urad dal with the fenugreek for 4 hours.
Grind the urad dal to a smooth aerated paste, then the rice to a grainy one. Combine the two by hand with the salt.
Cover and ferment for 10 to 12 hours in a warm spot. The batter doubles and turns sour.
Oil the idli moulds, fill them three-quarters full and steam for 12 minutes. Unmould after a 3 minute rest.
For the sambar, cook the toor dal with the turmeric in 700 ml water until it collapses. Mash it with a whisk.
Add the onion, tomato and drumstick, then the tamarind loosened in 200 ml water. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Stir in the sambar powder and salt, then cook for 5 minutes more.
Heat the sesame oil, pop the mustard seeds with the curry leaves and pour this tempering over the sambar. Serve with the idli.

The fermentation comes from bacteria living on the urad dal grains, which is why the batter gets mixed by hand rather than with a spoon. Below 20 °C, sit the bowl in a switched-off oven with the light on.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

My batter will not ferment. What is wrong?

The fermentation comes from bacteria on the urad dal itself, which is why the batter is mixed by hand rather than with a spoon. It also needs warmth: below 20C, put the bowl in a switched-off oven with the light on.

My idli come out dense instead of light. Why?

Either the batter never doubled, or it was stirred just before steaming, which knocks the gas out. Grind the urad dal to a genuinely smooth, aerated paste, ferment for 10 to 12 hours, then fill the moulds without stirring again.

What can replace the drumsticks?

They mainly add a texture you suck the flesh from and a mild vegetal note. Without them a sambar is still a sambar: add carrot, squash or okra at the same stage, and the tamarind will still carry the dish.

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Idli sambar

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

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Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

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