Idli with Sambar

Name: Idli with Sambar
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 3 cups idli batter (fermented rice and urad dal); 1 cup toor dal, cooked; 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, drumstick, pumpkin); 2 tbsp sambar powder; 1 tbsp tamarind pulp; 1 tsp mustard seeds; A few curry leaves; 2 dried red chilies; 1 tsp oil; Salt, to taste

4 servings15 min prep30 min cookEasy India

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Idli with Sambar

Story updated September 17, 2026

Idli's origins are debated: some scholars point to South Indian and Indonesian steaming traditions over a thousand years old, though clear textual evidence for the modern fermented rice-and-lentil version mainly appears from the medieval period on. Sambar, a lentil-vegetable stew, is said to trace to the Maratha court of Thanjavur, later becoming inseparable from South Indian breakfasts.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

3 cups idli batter (fermented rice and urad dal)
1 cup toor dal, cooked
1 cup mixed vegetables (carrot, drumstick, pumpkin)
2 tbsp sambar powder
1 tbsp tamarind pulp
1 tsp mustard seeds
A few curry leaves
2 dried red chilies
1 tsp oil
Salt, to taste

Instructions

1Grease idli molds and pour in the fermented batter, filling each cup two-thirds full.
2Steam for 12-15 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
3Boil the mixed vegetables until tender, then stir in the cooked toor dal, sambar powder, tamarind pulp, and salt.
4Simmer 10 minutes until the flavors meld.
5Heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chilies, then pour over the sambar.
6Serve the hot idlis with the sambar and coconut chutney.

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