Sambar

This vegan sambar recipe is just like the sambar you enjoy at your favourite Indian restaurant! Learn how to make this fragrant, spicy South Indian lentil and vegetable stew at home.

Indian cuisine—and especially South Indian cuisine—is always a treat when you’re a vegan. Isn’t it amazing to walk into a restaurant and know that instead of having to choose the single vegan item on the menu, you have dozens of mouth-watering options?! And everything is so flavourful, hearty, and satisfying. One of my favorite things to order is a crispy dosa with sambar.

What Is Sambar?

Sambar is a traditional South Indian stew made with lentils, vegetables, and a tangy tamarind broth. While the lentils and veggies are tasty, this is a dish that’s all about the seasoning—it’s absolutely packed with flavour thanks to the addition of turmeric, hing, spicy chilis, coriander, and curry leaves.

Sambar can be served with rice or as an accompaniment to other South Indian dishes like dosa or idli. While it’s often served as a side or as part of a larger meal in restaurants, this is a hearty, filling stew that can easily be a meal on its own.

This vegan sambar is an authentic Indian recipe—in fact, most versions of sambar are naturally vegan, although some do use ghee for the tempering. You’ll need to head to your local Indian grocer to pick up some of the ingredients, or you can order them online if you don’t live near a Desi grocery store.

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Toor dal – Also known as pigeon peas.
• Turmeric
• Salt
• Water
• Oil – Use your preferred cooking oil here.
• Pearl onions – Fresh is best, but you can also use frozen pearl onions.
• Eggplant
• Carrots
• Vegetable drumstick s – No, this isn’t a substitute for chicken! In South Indian cuisine, “drumstick” refers to moringa. You can find them in the frozen section of Indian grocers, or you can omit them or substitute another vegetable like green beans.
• Tomato
• Kashmiri red chili powder – This will give your sambar a reddish colour and a mild heat.
• Sambar powder – Sambar powder is a fragrant blend of coriander, toor dal, chana dal, fenugreek, and mustard seeds.
• Tamarind paste – This gives sambar its signature tangy flavor. You can substitute a generous squeeze of lime juice, but it’s not quite the same.
• Sugar
• Fresh coriander leaves – Also known as cilantro!
• Mustard seeds
• Fenugreek leaves
• Dried red chili peppers – You can adjust the amount according to your taste preferences.
• Fresh curry leaves – You can substitute dried curry leaves if you can’t find fresh, but because dried curry leaves are less flavourful, you’ll need to use twice the amount.
• Hing

What Is Hing?

Hing (also known as asafoetida) is a spice made from a resin extracted from the roots of certain species of edible plants. It has a pungent aroma and flavor, and it’s used to add depth to dishes like sambar. Hing can be found in Indian groceries or online stores.

How to Make Sambar

Your kitchen will smell incredible with a big pot of sambar simmering away on the stovetop! Here’s what you’ll need to do to make it.

Make the dal. Bring the toor dal, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon of salt, and 3 cups of water to a simmer in a large pot. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until the lentils are mushy. Use an immersion blender to puree the lentils into a thick paste.

Cook the vegetables. While the lentils are simmering, add 2 teaspoons of oil to a saucepan, along with the pearl onions. Sauté for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables; cook for another 2 minutes, then stir in the red chili powder.

Simmer the veggies. Pour 3 cups of water into the pot with the vegetables and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables are cooked through.

Season. Add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, the sambar powder ,and 3/4 teaspoon of salt to the vegetables. Cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the vegetable drumsticks are softened. Add the tamarind paste and sugar.

Add the lentils. Stir the mashed lentils into the vegetables and simmer over medium low heat until the sambar comes to a boil. Once the stew has a frothy layer on top, turn off the heat, stir in the coriander leaves, and cover.

Make the tempering. In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek leaves, and dried chili peppers. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mustard seeds begin to pop. Add the curry leaves and cook until they’re crispy, then stir in the hing.

Finish. Stir the tempering into the sambar. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes, then serve.

Tips for Success

Here are some tips for perfect sambar at home.

• Mash the lentils well. If you don’t have an immersion blender , you can use a wooden spoon to mash the lentils. They should have a little bit of texture to them, but you want them to be mostly smashed because this will thicken the sambar.
• Adjust the heat level as needed. Sambar falls somewhere in the middle of the heat scale when it comes to South Indian food, but you can always adjust by adding more or less chili powder and dried chilies.
• Try to use as many of the ingredients as possible. If you don’t live near an Indian grocer, you might have trouble finding all the ingredients, and it’s fine if you have to skip one or two, but if you’re leaving out almost all the spices, you won’t be making sambar! You’ll have a delicious vegetable stew, but it won’t have that same authentic flavour.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this sambar with steamed basmati rice, a side of vegan naan (or vegan garlic naan !), and other Indian favourites like chickpea tikka masala , vegan butter chicken , and samosas. Or just eat it on its own—sambar makes a great meal prep lunch!

How to Store Leftovers

Leftover sambar can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a saucepan set over low heat or in the microwave until heated through.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

Yes, you can freeze sambar. To freeze, place the cooled sambar in an airtight, freezer-safe container and it will keep for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before reheating according to the instructions above.

More Vegan Lentil Recipes

• One-Pot Red Lentil Curry
• Walnut Lentil Bolognese
• Roasted Red Pepper Lentil Pasta
• Lentil Balls with Zesty Rice (Vegan Meal Prep)

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Toor Dal (Pea Lentils) , 210 grams
• ¾ teaspoon Turmeric , divided
• 1 ¾ teaspoon Salt , divided
• 6 Cups Water , divided 1419 ml
• 5 teaspoons Oil , divided
• 12 Pearl Onions with peels removed , 80 grams
• ½ Eggplant , 70 grams
• 1 Cup Carrots , cut into 1⁄4” thick coins 80 grams
• 8 3-inch pieces Vegetable Drumstick , 80 grams
• 1 1 Tomato, cut into large chunks , 197 grams
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Sambar Powder , 12 grams
• 1 Tablespoon Tamarind Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar , 12 grams
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander Leaves , 1 gram
• ¾ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• Pinch Fenugreek Leaves
• 1-2 Dried Red Chili Peppers , broken into pieces
• 10-12 Fresh Curry Leaves
• ¼ teaspoon Hing

Instructions

For the dal

• Combine toor dal, 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are mushy, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the lentils to a thick paste and set aside. If you don’t have a blender, you can mash them with a wooden spoon.

For the vegetables

• Once the lentils start to simmer, begin cooking the vegetables in a second pot. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a saucepan along with the pearl onions. Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables.
• Saute the vegetables for another 2 minutes, then add red chili powder. Stir together.
• Pour 3 Cups of water into the vegetables. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until vegetables are just cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Add 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric, sambar powder and 3⁄4 teaspoon salt to the cooking vegetables. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the vegetable drumsticks are softened.
• Add the tamarind paste and sugar to the vegetables.
• Then add the mashed lentils to the vegetables and stir together. Simmer on medium low until it comes to a boil. Once the sambar has a frothy layer on top, turn off the heat.
• Stir in the coriander leaves. Cover and set aside.

For the tempering

• In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek leaves and dried chili peppers. Cook until the mustard seeds start to pop, about 5 minutes.
• Add curry leaves and continue cooking. Once the curry leaves are crispy, stir in the hing.
• Pour the tempering into the hot sambar and stir in. Cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes to impart the flavor of the tempering to the soup.

Notes

Sambar

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Toor Dal (Pea Lentils) 210 grams
• ¾ teaspoon Turmeric divided
• 1 ¾ teaspoon Salt divided
• 6 Cups Water divided 1419 ml
• 5 teaspoons Oil divided
• 12 Pearl Onions with peels removed 80 grams
• ½ Eggplant 70 grams
• 1 Cup Carrots cut into 1⁄4” thick coins 80 grams
• 8 3-inch pieces Vegetable Drumstick 80 grams
• 1 1 Tomato, cut into large chunks 197 grams
• ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Red Chili Powder
• 2 Tablespoons Sambar Powder 12 grams
• 1 Tablespoon Tamarind Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Sugar 12 grams
• 1 Tablespoon Fresh Coriander Leaves 1 gram
• ¾ teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• Pinch Fenugreek Leaves
• 1-2 Dried Red Chili Peppers broken into pieces
• 10-12 Fresh Curry Leaves
• ¼ teaspoon Hing

Instructions

For the dal

• Combine toor dal, 1⁄2 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups water in a pot and bring to a simmer. Cook until the lentils are mushy, about 30 minutes. Use an immersion blender to puree the lentils to a thick paste and set aside. If you don’t have a blender, you can mash them with a wooden spoon.

For the vegetables

• Once the lentils start to simmer, begin cooking the vegetables in a second pot. Add 2 teaspoons of oil to a saucepan along with the pearl onions. Saute for about 2 minutes, then add the remaining vegetables.
• Saute the vegetables for another 2 minutes, then add red chili powder. Stir together.
• Pour 3 Cups of water into the vegetables. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook until vegetables are just cooked, about 20 minutes.
• Add 1⁄4 teaspoon turmeric, sambar powder and 3⁄4 teaspoon salt to the cooking vegetables. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until the vegetable drumsticks are softened.
• Add the tamarind paste and sugar to the vegetables.
• Then add the mashed lentils to the vegetables and stir together. Simmer on medium low until it comes to a boil. Once the sambar has a frothy layer on top, turn off the heat.
• Stir in the coriander leaves. Cover and set aside.

For the tempering

• In a small pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, fenugreek leaves and dried chili peppers. Cook until the mustard seeds start to pop, about 5 minutes.
• Add curry leaves and continue cooking. Once the curry leaves are crispy, stir in the hing.
• Pour the tempering into the hot sambar and stir in. Cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes to impart the flavor of the tempering to the soup.

Notes

Nutrition

Sambar https://jessicainthekitchen.com/vegan-sambar/ April 18, 2023

You’re going to love this vegan banana pudding! It’s creamy and rich, with layers of pudding, sliced bananas, vanilla wafers, and fluffy whipped topping. Best of all, you only need 7 simple ingredients to make it!

Banana pudding is a classic Southern dessert, but the traditional version is pretty heavy on the dairy, which means it’s not exactly vegan-friendly. There’s milk, the pudding, whipped cream on top, and some recipes that have you make the pudding from scratch have eggs too. Luckily, you don’t have to miss out on this favourite old-fashioned treat once you switch to a vegan lifestyle—a few simple swaps and you can make rich, creamy vegan banana pudding at home!

Friends, this is just like the classic version. We’re talking silky, banana-infused pudding on the bottom, layers of soft vanilla wafers and bananas (don’t you just love how the pudding softens the cookies?!), fluffy whipped cream on top, and crisp bits of wafers and more banana slices for garnish. Ooh yes.

This might just be the perfect summer dessert—cool, creamy, with a little bit of tropical flavour. It’s also incredibly easy to make, with only 7 ingredients!

Notes on Ingredients

Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.

• Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding – Jell-O cook and serve pudding is gluten-free and vegan, while 365 Everyday brand vanilla pudding is vegan.
• Cornstarch
• Non-dairy milk – You’ll want to use an unflavoured, unsweetened variety for this recipe.
• Vanilla extract
• Vegan vanilla wafers – 365 Everyday brand vanilla wafers are vegan.
• Bananas
• Vegan whipped cream – A tub of whipped topping is perfect here.

What Keeps Bananas from Turning Brown in Banana Pudding?

Unfortunately, it’s hard to completely prevent the bananas from turning brown. Bananas brown the fastest when exposed to oxygen, so the bananas layered in the middle of the pudding should be fine for a few days. For the bananas on top of the pudding, you can use firm, just-barely-ripe bananas and brush them with orange or pineapple juice to slow the oxidation process. (Lemon juice works too, but orange and pineapple juice work better with the flavour of banana pudding.)

Don’t worry, though—if the bananas do turn brown, they’re still perfectly safe to eat.

How to Make Vegan Banana Pudding

There aren’t any special techniques needed to make this vegan banana pudding. It’s easy as can be!

Start the pudding. Whisk the non-dairy milk, pudding mix, and cornstarch in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble. Remove from heat and let the pudding cool for a few minutes.

Mash the bananas. Place the bananas in a large bowl and coarsely mash them. For a completely smooth pudding, you can also puree them in a blender .

Finish the pudding. Add the pudding to the bowl with the bananas, along with the vanilla extract. Fold everything together.

Chill. Cover the pudding with plastic wrap, pressing it so it touches the top to prevent skin from forming. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, or until completely cool.

Add the whipped cream. Fold half of the whipped cream into the chilled pudding.

Assemble. Spoon 1/4 of the pudding into a 9×9-inch baking dish. Add a layer of wafers and banana slices, half of the remaining pudding, then another layer of cookies, bananas, and pudding. Chill for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Garnish and serve. Before serving, garnish the top with the remaining whipped cream and additional cookies or banana slices, if desired.

Tips for Success

This vegan banana pudding is easy to put together, but here are some additional tips to help you make it perfect.

• Use ripe, but still firm bananas. You want to strike the right balance between over-ripe soft bananas, and under-ripe firm ones. Over-ripe bananas will turn brown faster, but under-ripe bananas won’t add much flavor. Use bananas that are yellow, without a lot of brown spots.
• Cover the bananas. Make sure the top pudding layer completely covers the bananas to help keep them from turning brown.
• Don’t garnish until you’re ready to serve. This will keep the bananas looking fresh and the wafers on the top nice and crispy.

Variations

There’s a lot of room for customizing this vegan banana pudding and making it your own. Here are some ideas:

• Swap the vanilla wafers for graham crackers.
• Switch out some of the bananas for fresh berries or diced mango.
• For an extra tropical twist, use coconut pudding instead of vanilla and add toasted coconut on top.

How to Store Leftovers

Assuming you don’t eat it all in one sitting, store leftover vegan banana pudding in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.

Can This Recipe Be Frozen?

This vegan banana pudding does not freeze well. While you can freeze it, the texture and flavor can change significantly when frozen, and it will only last for a week or two in the freezer.

More Vegan Dessert Ideas

• Air Fryer Chocolate Chip Cookies
• Vegan Carrot Cupcakes
• Peanut Butter Cake
• Chocolate Chia Pudding (5 Ingredients, Vegan, Low Carb)

Ingredients

• 1 – 4.6 ounce pkg Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding , 130 grams
• 3 Tablespoons Cornstarch , 24 grams
• 2 Cups Non-Dairy Milk , 480 ml
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 10 ounces Vegan Vanilla Wafers , 283 grams
• 5-6 Bananas
• 12 ounces Vegan Whipped Cream

Instructions

• Combine non-dairy milk, pudding mix and cornstarch in a small saucepan. Whisk together until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it begins to thicken and just starts to bubble. Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.
• Mash two of the bananas to a wet pulp. If you don’t want any chunks in the pudding, you can also puree them in a blender.
• Transfer the warm pudding to a large bowl. Add the mashed bananas and vanilla. Fold together.
• Cover the pudding with plastic wrap making sure to press the plastic to the top of the pudding to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate 1-2 hours until completely cool.
• Remove chilled pudding from the refrigerator. Add half of the whipped cream to the pudding and fold together.
• Using a 9×9 baking dish, begin assembling the banana pudding. Start with a layer of pudding (about 1⁄4 of the total amount of pudding), followed by cookies and then banana slices. Then spread 1⁄2 of the remaining pudding over the banana layer and repeat with cookies, bananas and the remaining pudding. Make sure the top pudding layer completely covers the bananas to help keep them from turning brown.
• Refrigerate for 4 hours or up to 24 hours before serving.
• Immediately before serving, decorate the top with the remaining whipped cream and some additional cookies or banana slices if desired.

Notes

• 365 Everyday brand Vanilla Wafers are vegan
• Jell-o brand cook & serve pudding is gluten free & vegan
• 365 Everyday brand Vanilla pudding is vegan