Upahara Darshini Style Sambhar

Name: Upahara Darshini Style Sambhar
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup split pigeon pea; 1/2 tsp Turmeric; 1 Onion (chopped medium); 2 Ripe Tomato (diced); 2 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Tamarind paste (adjust if the tomatoes aren't tangy); 3 TBSP Oil; 8 Kashmiri Chilli (split use, don't skip this); 2 Dry Red Chillies (Spicy variety); 1/3 cup Coconut (Fresh Grated); 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds; 1/4 tsp cumin seeds; 1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds; 1.5 tbsp Coriander seeds; 1/2 TBSP Split black gram (Urad Dal); 1/2 TBSP Bengal Gram (Channa Dal); 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds; 2 Sprig Curry leaves; 1/2 tsp Asafoetida (skip for GF); 1 TBSP Green coriander leaves (chopped fine)

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What is Upahara Darshini Sambhar ?

Upahara Darshini was (is) a popular eatery in South Bangalore.Upahara in Kannada means tiffins / small meals . Although it has many chains now, the original outlet (popularly known by the locals as "UD") at DVG Road, Basavanagudi is very popular for the tiffins /breakfast esp this sambar , Kharabhath , Shavige Uppittu (vermicelli Upma), Set Dosa . The cousin and me were particularly huge fans of its sambhar - a deep red Sambhar (Tiffin sambhar in Karnataka is a tangy, spicy gravy made with very little veggies and lots of spices and coconut, while this is the Tamilnadu version of Tiffin Sambhar), It was one of the first self-service eateries in Bangalore and opened as early as 1993.

The unique taste of Upahara Darshini Sambhar, and some nostalgia...

Given that its sambhar is one of the top selling items, the waiters happily dole out extra bowls of Sambhar as and when you ask. Also, there is the Udupi Sambhar that is served with Idli / vada or even Rice My cousin brother mentioned here is a huge love of this sambhar and an Idli-vada-sambhar fan like me

So after gobbling the idli-vada, he used to go back for seconds and thirds of this Sambhar. Its flavour is unlike any other sambhar, and although my cousin now lives outside India, given his culinary and baking skills I think he makes this sambhar for himself.I am so proud of the self taught baking lessons he's given himself (and I shall ask for his permission if I can share his Instagram handle here) - the breads he's baked and posted are gorgeous and I am sure he would love this memory of slurping this Udupi style Sambhar.

Do you know how Sambar / Sambhar got it's name ? ????

Sambar which is a popular south-Indian dish is said to have invented by Shahuji, and the chef, while trying to make a side dish called Amti accidentally added tamarind extract to it instead of kokum and thus the dish was named after Sambhaji Maharaj - the 2nd Emperor of the Maratha Empire

What dishes can be served with this Upahara Darshini Sambhar?

Well, the entire South Indian Breakfast platter can be. But my personal favourites are:

Prep time - 20 mins, Cook time - 15 mins, Serves - 4~5

Ingredients:

For the Sambhar:

¼ cup split pigeon pea
½ teaspoon Turmeric
1 Onion (chopped medium)
2 Ripe Tomato (diced)
2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Tamarind paste (adjust if the tomatoes aren't tangy)

For the ground masala:

½ tablespoon Oil
6 Kashmiri Chilli (don't skip this)
2 Dry Red Chillies (Spicy variety)
⅓ cup Coconut (Fresh Grated)
½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds
1.5 tablespoon Coriander seeds
½ tablespoon Split black gram (Urad Dal)
½ tablespoon Bengal Gram (Channa Dal)

For the Tempering:

2 teaspoon Oil
½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 Sprig Curry leaves
½ teaspoon Asafoetida (skip for GF)
2 Kashmiri red chillies ( Broken into 2)
1 tablespoon Green coriander leaves (chopped fine)

PIN FOR LATER

Method to make Upahara Darshini Sambhar:

Prep work:

Soak tamarind in ½ cup water and extract the juice and keep aside (if not using paste)
Soak Toor dal with turmeric for 10 mins while you chop the tomatoes and onions.
In a pressure cooker, Pressure cook Toor dal with 1 cup water till mushy and soft (3-4 whistles will do). In another pan, sauté the onions in 1 teaspoon oil till crispy and reserve.

For the masala:

In a pan, heat ½ teaspoon oil. dry roast the dals and coriander one by one till they are golden brown
Add the rest of the ingredients including the coconut , switch off heat and sauté for 1-2 mins. Cool and grind to a thick paste additional very little water. reserve.

To make the sambhar:

In a pan, add the cooked dal, tomatoes and 1-2 cups of water and cover and cook till the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add the tamarind extract, ground masala paste, salt.
Cook for 2-3 mins more on medium flame. Now add the sautéed onions and let it simmer for 2-4 mins.
Adjust thickness by adding any additional water (the masala paste makes the sambhar quite thick so add adequate water to make a sambhar consistency).
Make the tempering with the ingredients and pour to sambar. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Idli / Dosa Or Uttapams / Pongal / Vadai / Millets Pongal. If you are like me, make a huge batch of this and slurp it as is !