Pumpkin Sambar Poosanikai Sambar

I often make different varieties of sambar and Kuzhambu. This pumpkin sambar is also one of the sambar variety I make. Pumpkin is a versatile veggie and can be used in many recipes. While making any sambar, always use a good quality and aromatic sambar powder. Homemade sambar powder is always better. I have here used homemade mysore sambar powder which is a really good sambar powder. Usually sambar is made with an array of mix vegetables. Yet there are many sambar varieties where only one vegetable is used. This pumpkin sambar is one such delicious sambar variety. It has sweet tones coming from the pumpkin and tastes too good. The most apt way of consuming this Poosanikai Sambar is to serve it piping hot with the usual South Indian snack dishes like idlis, dosas and uttapams. But nothing can actually come close to the combination of steamed rice being paired with this sambar..

How to make Pumpkin Sambar

A) making tamarind pulp

1. In a bowl soak 1 tablespoon of tamarind and ¼ cup warm or hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Then later squeeze the soaked tamarind pulp in the water. Keep this tamarind pulp aside. B) Cooking lentils
3. Rinse ½ cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils) a couple of times in water. Take the lentils in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as per taste.
5. Add 1 cup of water.
6. Place the bowl in a stovetop pressure cooker. Also in the pressure cooker add 1.5 cups of water. Here I have used pot in pot method of cooking both rice and dal to save time and fuel. You can also just cook dal alone in the pressure cooker. If cooking dal directly in the pressure cooker, then add 2 to 2.5 cups water.
7. Cover the bowl with a lid.
8. Cover and pressure cook dal for 7 to 8 whistles or 10 to 11 minutes on medium flame.
9. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the lid and check the dal. The dal should be completely cooked and mushy. Mash dal with a spoon or wired whisk. Cover and keep aside.

Cooking pumpkin

10. Rinse, peel and chop 250 grams pumpkin in large pieces. Add the chopped pumpkin in a pan. You will need 2 cups of chopped pumpkin. If you want you can keep the peels on the pumpkin.
11. Add 1 pinch of turmeric powder and 1 cup water.
12. Cover the pan and cook the pumpkin on a low to medium flame till its tender.
13. In between do check when the pumpkin is cooking.
14. The pumpkin cubes should be cooked and tender, but do not overcook them or make them mushy.

Making pumpkin sambar

15. When the pumpkin cubes are cooked, add the tamarind pulp.
16. Add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of Sambar Powder. Stir and mix very well.
17. Then add the mashed dal.
18. Stir and mix well.
19. Add ½ cup water or as required. You can keep the consistency of this sambar according to your preferences. For a thicker poosanikai sambar, add less water.
20. Stir and mix again.
21. Simmer pumpkin sambar on low to medium flame for 6 to 7 minutes. The raw aroma of tamarind should go away. Switch off the flame after simmering for 6 to 7 minutes. Then cover the pan and keep it aside.

Making tempering for pumpkin sambar

22. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) in small pan or tadka pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
23. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
24. When the mustard seeds crackle, then add 10 to 12 curry leaves and 1 to 2 dry red chilies (broken and seeds removed).
25. Immediately add 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
26. Mix well and fry till the curry leaves become crisp and the red chilies change color. Do not burn the red chilies.
27. Switch off the flame and immediately add the tempering mixture in pumpkin sambar.
28. Cover and let the flavors infuse for 4 to 5 minutes.
29. Then Serve poosanikai sambar with steamed rice or with idli or dosa or rava uttapam. Few more Sambar varieties for you!

Idli sambarDrumstick sambarSambarArachuvitta sambarVarutharacha 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 Pumpkin Sambar post from archives first published in January 2018 has been updated and republished on January 2023.

title: “Pumpkin Sambar Poosanikai Sambar " ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-27” author: “Manuel Juarez”

I often make different varieties of sambar and Kuzhambu. This pumpkin sambar is also one of the sambar variety I make. Pumpkin is a versatile veggie and can be used in many recipes. While making any sambar, always use a good quality and aromatic sambar powder. Homemade sambar powder is always better. I have here used homemade mysore sambar powder which is a really good sambar powder. Usually sambar is made with an array of mix vegetables. Yet there are many sambar varieties where only one vegetable is used. This pumpkin sambar is one such delicious sambar variety. It has sweet tones coming from the pumpkin and tastes too good. The most apt way of consuming this Poosanikai Sambar is to serve it piping hot with the usual South Indian snack dishes like idlis, dosas and uttapams. But nothing can actually come close to the combination of steamed rice being paired with this sambar..

How to make Pumpkin Sambar

A) making tamarind pulp

1. In a bowl soak 1 tablespoon of tamarind and ¼ cup warm or hot water for 20 to 30 minutes.
2. Then later squeeze the soaked tamarind pulp in the water. Keep this tamarind pulp aside. B) Cooking lentils
3. Rinse ½ cup tuvar dal (pigeon pea lentils) a couple of times in water. Take the lentils in a medium-sized bowl.
4. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and salt as per taste.
5. Add 1 cup of water.
6. Place the bowl in a stovetop pressure cooker. Also in the pressure cooker add 1.5 cups of water. Here I have used pot in pot method of cooking both rice and dal to save time and fuel. You can also just cook dal alone in the pressure cooker. If cooking dal directly in the pressure cooker, then add 2 to 2.5 cups water.
7. Cover the bowl with a lid.
8. Cover and pressure cook dal for 7 to 8 whistles or 10 to 11 minutes on medium flame.
9. When the pressure settles down on its own, then only open the lid and check the dal. The dal should be completely cooked and mushy. Mash dal with a spoon or wired whisk. Cover and keep aside.

Cooking pumpkin

10. Rinse, peel and chop 250 grams pumpkin in large pieces. Add the chopped pumpkin in a pan. You will need 2 cups of chopped pumpkin. If you want you can keep the peels on the pumpkin.
11. Add 1 pinch of turmeric powder and 1 cup water.
12. Cover the pan and cook the pumpkin on a low to medium flame till its tender.
13. In between do check when the pumpkin is cooking.
14. The pumpkin cubes should be cooked and tender, but do not overcook them or make them mushy.

Making pumpkin sambar

15. When the pumpkin cubes are cooked, add the tamarind pulp.
16. Add 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of Sambar Powder. Stir and mix very well.
17. Then add the mashed dal.
18. Stir and mix well.
19. Add ½ cup water or as required. You can keep the consistency of this sambar according to your preferences. For a thicker poosanikai sambar, add less water.
20. Stir and mix again.
21. Simmer pumpkin sambar on low to medium flame for 6 to 7 minutes. The raw aroma of tamarind should go away. Switch off the flame after simmering for 6 to 7 minutes. Then cover the pan and keep it aside.

Making tempering for pumpkin sambar

22. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil) in small pan or tadka pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds.
23. Let the mustard seeds crackle.
24. When the mustard seeds crackle, then add 10 to 12 curry leaves and 1 to 2 dry red chilies (broken and seeds removed).
25. Immediately add 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
26. Mix well and fry till the curry leaves become crisp and the red chilies change color. Do not burn the red chilies.
27. Switch off the flame and immediately add the tempering mixture in pumpkin sambar.
28. Cover and let the flavors infuse for 4 to 5 minutes.
29. Then Serve poosanikai sambar with steamed rice or with idli or dosa or rava uttapam. Few more Sambar varieties for you!

Idli sambarDrumstick sambarSambarArachuvitta sambarVarutharacha 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 Pumpkin Sambar post from archives first published in January 2018 has been updated and republished on January 2023.