Coimbatore Annapoorna Hotel Style Sambar Recipe

Recipe for Coimbatore Hotel Annapoorna Sambar. Recipe as told by a cook who worked in the hotel for 27 years. With step by step pictures and video.

I get at least a couple of mails a month asking for Annapoorna sambar recipe as I am from Coimbatore. Everyone in Coimbatore loves the food from this iconic Annapoorna hotel. I am no different. Their Sambar is one of the best. I had tried different recipes but could not nail it. Then this happened. I was talking about my sambar quest to Prema akka (Vinodhs aunt) and she told she knows someone who can give us the recipe. She told me that one Mr. Palinisamy had worked as a cook in their house in the 80’s before moving to Annapoorna as a chef. She told me that she will definitely get hold of him for me. And she did. I met him at a function recently where he was in charge of the kitchen. Mr. Palanisamy is a dhoti clad chef with prominent brown eyes and a big mustache. His eyes are very unique. You will never forget him once you have met him. As soon as I met him, we started talking. He told that he started cooking at the age of 12. He worked at the hotel for 27 years. He now runs his own food and catering service at Coimbatore. His food rocks. If you are in Coimbatore and have a party at home, try Mr. Palanisamy’s food. You can contact Mr. Palanisamy, Sai Baba catering. His phone number 9940888764 , 8270643720 . His food is as good as home cooked food. If you are having a party in Coimbatore, this is the number you need to be calling.

Video Recipe of Coimbatore Annapoorna Hotel Style Sambar

A note on the quantity of vegetables to the dal. We are going to use half a cup of toor dal for this recipe, which is 125 ml or roughly about 100 grams. We need to use 200 grams of drumstick for this recipe. About 2 drumsticks.

Wash and soak 1/2 a cup of toor dal in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with the water for 6 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Use the back of the tumbler to mash the dal. Set the dal aside to a bowl.

In another cooker, add in the drumsticks, diced onion, diced shallots (small onion) and tomatoes. Add one cup of water, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of turmeric. Cook for 4 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Set aside.

Now for the Sambar Masala Get all the ingredients listed below ready before you proceed. We will need a dozen ingredients namely coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chillies, asafoetida, coconut, jaggery and the tamarind. A note on jaggery and tamarind. The quantity of jaggery and tamarind has to be equal.

Heat oil in a pan and add in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, fenugreek seeds, chana dal and urad dal. Fry for a minute. Once the chana dal is brown, add in the curry leaves, dry red chillies, asafoetida, coconut, jaggery and the tamarind. Fry for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

Grind the mixture with half a cup of water to a paste. Let the paste be very slightly coarse. Set aside.

Take a heavy bottomed pan and add in the ground masala and one cup of water. Let it come to a boil on medium flame. Once its boiling, add in the cooked vegetables along with the water used for cooking. Add in the salt. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add in the cooked dal and let it continue to boil for 2-3 minutes.

When the dal is cooking, we will do the tempering for the sambar. Heat oil in a kadai and add in the mustard seeds when the oil is hot. Add in the curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder and immediately pour it on the sambar. The red chilli powder might burn if kept in the oil for too long. So have an eye on the kadai. Add in the coriander leaves and a tablespoon of ghee. Switch off the flame.

Coimbatore Annapoorna Style Hotel Tiffin Sambar is ready!

Measurments Used – 1 Cup = 250 ml

For Dal

• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• 2 Cups Water

For Veggies

• 2 Drumsticks
• 1 onion, diced
• 10 shallots (small onions), diced
• 1 Large Tomato, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cup water

For Sambar Masala

• 2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil (gingely oil)
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 black pepper corn
• 5 fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoon chana dal
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 dried red chillies (gundu variety)
• 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)
• 3 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 teaspoon jaggery
• gooseberry size tamarind

Other ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 stalks coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ghee

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil (gingely oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

For Dal

1. Wash and soak 1/2 a cup of toor dal in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with the water for 6 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Set aside.

For Veggies

1. In another cooker add in the drumsticks, diced onion, diced shallots (small onion) and tomatoes. Add one cup of water, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of turmeric. Cook for 4 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Set aside.

For Sambar Masala

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal. Fry for a minute. Once the chana dal is brown, add in the curry leaves, dry red chillies, asafoetida, coconut, jaggery and the tamarind. Fry for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
2. Grind the mixture with half a cup of water to a paste. Let the paste be very slightly coarse. Set aside.

For the Sambar

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan and add in the ground masala and one cup of water. Let it come to a boil on medium flame. Once its boiling, add in the cooked vegetables along with the water used for cooking. Add in the salt. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add in the cooked dal and let it continue to boil for 2-3 minutes.

For Tempering

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add in the mustard seeds when the oil is hot. Add in the curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder and immediately pour it on the sambar. The red chilli powder might burn if kept in the oil for too long. So have an eye on the kadai. Add in the coriander leaves and a tablespoon of ghee. Switch off the flame.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu

Measurments Used – 1 Cup = 250 ml

For Dal

• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• 2 Cups Water

For Veggies

• 2 Drumsticks
• 1 onion, diced
• 10 shallots (small onions), diced
• 1 Large Tomato, diced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 cup water

For Sambar Masala

• 2 teaspoon Indian sesame oil (gingely oil)
• 2 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 black pepper corn
• 5 fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoon chana dal
• 1 tablespoon urad dal
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 3 dried red chillies (gundu variety)
• 1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida (hing)
• 3 tablespoon fresh shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 teaspoon jaggery
• gooseberry size tamarind

Other ingredients

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 stalks coriander leaves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ghee

For Tempering

• 1 teaspoon Indian sesame oil (gingely oil)
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

For Dal

1. Wash and soak 1/2 a cup of toor dal in 2 cups of water for 20 minutes. Pressure cook the dal with the water for 6 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Set aside.

For Veggies

1. In another cooker add in the drumsticks, diced onion, diced shallots (small onion) and tomatoes. Add one cup of water, a teaspoon of salt and a teaspoon of turmeric. Cook for 4 whistles. Remove from heat and wait for the pressure in the cooker to release naturally. Set aside.

For Sambar Masala

1. Heat oil in a pan and add in the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, pepper, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal. Fry for a minute. Once the chana dal is brown, add in the curry leaves, dry red chillies, asafoetida, coconut, jaggery and the tamarind. Fry for 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
2. Grind the mixture with half a cup of water to a paste. Let the paste be very slightly coarse. Set aside.

For the Sambar

1. Take a heavy bottomed pan and add in the ground masala and one cup of water. Let it come to a boil on medium flame. Once its boiling, add in the cooked vegetables along with the water used for cooking. Add in the salt. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Add in the cooked dal and let it continue to boil for 2-3 minutes.

For Tempering

1. Heat oil in a kadai and add in the mustard seeds when the oil is hot. Add in the curry leaves and switch off the flame. Add in 1/2 teaspoon of red chilli powder and immediately pour it on the sambar. The red chilli powder might burn if kept in the oil for too long. So have an eye on the kadai. Add in the coriander leaves and a tablespoon of ghee. Switch off the flame.

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 30 mins
• Category: Side Dish
• Cuisine: South Indian, Tamilnadu

Find it online : https://www.kannammacooks.com/annapoorna-hotel-sambar/

Recipe for south Indian Tamilnadu style paruppu vadai recipe. Made with chana dal. With step by step pictures.

My moms family is big. Super big. She has 6 sisters and 4 brothers. The last of the lot is my aunt Prema Sithi. She was the one who would take all the children for shopping in her Fiat car and would buy big boxes of ice cream on the way back home. Usually, when our aunts and uncles visited home, they would bring sweets and snacks. But Prema Sithi would get us toys. Not just any toys but super cool toys and board games. So Prema Sithi was the favorite aunt among the kids. She still is. This is her signature vadai recipe. Here is a picture of Prema Sithi, my baby and paati.

Soak the chana dal for 2 hours. Do not soak longer than that or the vadai will consume a lot of oil while frying. Drain the dal after 2 hours. Grind the dal with the red chillies, asafoetida and salt. My aunt says rock salt tastes well for this recipe. Use about 2-3 tablespoon of water while grinding. You should grind the batter to a coarse paste. The coarse texture is very important.

To the ground batter, add in lots of finely chopped onions, chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped green chillies and cumin seeds. My aunt says that adding lots of onions and coriander leaves adds flavour to the vadai. So be generous with the veggies.

Mix well and check for seasoning. Add extra salt if necessary. Form the vadai. Take a small lime size batter in hand and make a ball. Make small balls. Remember that smaller balls makes for crispier vadai’s. Gently flatten it on the hands. Gather the edges to smoothen. The more you flatten, the more crispier the vadais.

Gently lower the vadais in hot oil and cook the vadai on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.

Serve hot in a big bowl with your family.

For Grinding

• 1 cup ( 250 ml) Chana Dal
• 1 teaspoon rock salt
• 2 dried red chillies
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida

Other Ingredients

• 2 onions, finely choppes
• 10 stalks coriander leaves, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs curry leaves, finely chopped
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

For frying

• 500 ml Oil for deep frying

1. Soak the chana dal for 2 hours. Drain the dal after 2 hours. Grind the dal with the red chillies, asafoetida and salt. Use about 2-3 tablespoon of water while grinding. Grind the batter to a coarse paste.
2. To the ground batter, add in lots of finely chopped onions, chopped curry leaves, chopped coriander leaves, finely chopped green chillies and cumin seeds.
3. Mix well and check for seasoning. Form the vadai. Take a small lime size batter in hand and make a ball. Gently flatten it on the hands. Gather the edges to smoothen.
4. Gently lower the vadais in hot oil and cook the vadai on both sides until golden brown. Drain on paper towel.
5. Serve hot!

• Author: Kannamma - Suguna Vinodh
• Prep Time: 2 hours
• Cook Time: 20 mins
• Category: Appetizer
• Cuisine: Tamilnadu