Sambar is a favorite at home and I often make Sambar with idlis or steamed rice. I specially buy pearl onions to make this vengaya sambar and Ulli theeyal (Kerala curry made with pearl onions). When pearl onions are not available, I make this sambar with regular onions. Pearl onions have a distinct taste of their own and so I also add them to our everyday dals also. This sambar not only tastes good with pearl onions but also with regular onions. The recipe uses sambar powder and I have added homemade sambar powder. There is no coconut added in the recipe. Serve onion sambar hot with idli, dosa, medu vada, uttapam or with steamed rice.

How to make Onion Sambar

  1. Rinse ½ cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils) for a couple of times in water. Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1.5 to 2 cups water. Stir and pressure cook the lentils for 7 to 8 whistles or till they are cooked completely.
  2. When the dal is cooking, soak ½ tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind in ¼ cup hot water.
  3. Also soak 20 to 22 pearl onions in water for about 20 minutes. Soaking helps in peeling the onions easily. You can also peel them without soaking. Instead of pearl onions, you can also use shallots or 2 to 3 medium-sized onions. Just dice the onions.
  4. When the dal is softened really well, mash the dal and keep aside.
  5. Later peel the onions. Rinse them well in water and keep aside. Also, dice 1 small tomato.

Making vengaya sambar

6. Heat 2 tablespoon oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds along with 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional). Allow the mustard seeds to splutter and the urad dal to change into a maroonish color. 7. Then add 2 dry red chilies and 3 to 4 fenugreek seeds. Saute till the red chilies change color. 8. Next add the pearl onions and 9 to 10 curry leaves. Stir and saute till the onions turn translucent. 9. Add the diced tomatoes and one pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and saute the tomatoes till they soften. 10. Extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind. 12. Add the tamarind pulp to the onion-tomato mixture. 13. Add 1.5 cups of water. 14. Bring this mixture to a simmer till the raw aroma and taste of tamarind goes away. About 7 to 8 minutes. 15. Then add 2 teaspoon sambar powder. 16. Stir and mix very well. 17. Now add the mashed dal. 18. Stir again. 19. Add some more water if required and if the sambar looks very thick. 20. Add salt as required and stir well. You can also add some jaggery if you want. 21. Simmer vengaya sambar for 5 to 6 minutes or until the sambar thickens slightly. 22. Garnish with coriander leaves if you want and Serve small onion sambar hot with steamed rice or idli, dosa or uttapam.

Expert Tips

More Tasty Sambar varieties

Idli sambarUdupi sambarDrumstick sambarArachuvitta sambar

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. This Onion Sambar post from the archives first published in June 2015 has been updated and republished on December 2022

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title: “Onion Sambar Vengaya Sambar " ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-21” author: “Larry Ables”

Sambar is a favorite at home and I often make Sambar with idlis or steamed rice. I specially buy pearl onions to make this vengaya sambar and Ulli theeyal (Kerala curry made with pearl onions). When pearl onions are not available, I make this sambar with regular onions. Pearl onions have a distinct taste of their own and so I also add them to our everyday dals also. This sambar not only tastes good with pearl onions but also with regular onions. The recipe uses sambar powder and I have added homemade sambar powder. There is no coconut added in the recipe. Serve onion sambar hot with idli, dosa, medu vada, uttapam or with steamed rice.

How to make Onion Sambar

  1. Rinse ½ cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils) for a couple of times in water. Then add the lentils in a pressure cooker along with ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1.5 to 2 cups water. Stir and pressure cook the lentils for 7 to 8 whistles or till they are cooked completely.
  2. When the dal is cooking, soak ½ tablespoon tightly packed seedless tamarind in ¼ cup hot water.
  3. Also soak 20 to 22 pearl onions in water for about 20 minutes. Soaking helps in peeling the onions easily. You can also peel them without soaking. Instead of pearl onions, you can also use shallots or 2 to 3 medium-sized onions. Just dice the onions.
  4. When the dal is softened really well, mash the dal and keep aside.
  5. Later peel the onions. Rinse them well in water and keep aside. Also, dice 1 small tomato.

Making vengaya sambar

6. Heat 2 tablespoon oil. Add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds along with 1 teaspoon urad dal (optional). Allow the mustard seeds to splutter and the urad dal to change into a maroonish color. 7. Then add 2 dry red chilies and 3 to 4 fenugreek seeds. Saute till the red chilies change color. 8. Next add the pearl onions and 9 to 10 curry leaves. Stir and saute till the onions turn translucent. 9. Add the diced tomatoes and one pinch of asafoetida (hing). Stir and saute the tomatoes till they soften. 10. Extract the pulp from the soaked tamarind. 12. Add the tamarind pulp to the onion-tomato mixture. 13. Add 1.5 cups of water. 14. Bring this mixture to a simmer till the raw aroma and taste of tamarind goes away. About 7 to 8 minutes. 15. Then add 2 teaspoon sambar powder. 16. Stir and mix very well. 17. Now add the mashed dal. 18. Stir again. 19. Add some more water if required and if the sambar looks very thick. 20. Add salt as required and stir well. You can also add some jaggery if you want. 21. Simmer vengaya sambar for 5 to 6 minutes or until the sambar thickens slightly. 22. Garnish with coriander leaves if you want and Serve small onion sambar hot with steamed rice or idli, dosa or uttapam.

Expert Tips

More Tasty Sambar varieties

Idli sambarUdupi sambarDrumstick sambarArachuvitta sambar

Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter. This Onion Sambar post from the archives first published in June 2015 has been updated and republished on December 2022

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