Ratna Cafe Style Sambar | Sambar for Idli, Dosa
Sambar with unique taste, flavor and texture !. Restaurant style Sambar at Home !
Ratna Cafe is a very popular fast food restaurant in Chennai. Ratna Cafe is one of the longest standing restaurant, popular for its sambar-idly and unique taste that has been maintained over the years. This sambar is a perfect side dish for Idli, dosa, Pongal, Vada, bonda, rice and you name anything.
If we make this style of sambar once, we never want to go back to our conventional way of making sambar any more. It has its unique flavor, texture and wonderful taste which makes us addictive to this Sambar. Goes very well with rice as a main course and also as an accompaniment to Idli / Dosa / Pongal !
I got this recipe in one of the FB group. An admin (Mr.Varagooran Narayanan) in “Brahmin’s Bojan” group shared this wonderful recipe. The way he explained the instructions and his explanation of why this sambar is unique is so inspiring and immediately I started gathering at all ingredients to make it. If I come across any recipe in social media, I will first make it for my family to see how they react to it. This time, its my husband who wants to give it a try. After I gathered the ingredients, he followed the recipe instructions word to word and it tasted so awesome. Couple of days later, I was again tempted to make this sambar and this time I wanted to make a video and record this recipe that will be helpful to many of us like me.
There are 4 steps in preparing this yummy Sambar:
The procedure for preparing this sambar seems little complicated and lengthy. There are lots of ingredients and different sets of procedure to prepare this Ratna cafe style Sambar. Some of the ingredients are added multiple times in different steps but it’s not overwhelming or dominating. Generally in restaurants, especially South Indian restaurants, sambar is an integral food in the menu. They have to prepare in larger quantity and so they prepare the sambar in 3-4 steps and keep it separately and whenever they need to serve, they will combine all the separately prepared mixtures and make wonderful sambar.
I will tell 4 different steps now..
Step 1: Preparing dal and veggies
We first need to pressure cook dal and pumpkin. For sambar, we usually cook toor dal but for this sambar we use both moong and toor dal
Step 2: Preparing Onion-Tomato Mixture
Second thing we need to prepare is onion-tomato mixture. We are just going to grind raw onion, tomato and jaggery and set this aside which will be used later
Step 3: Preparing Sambar Masala
Third step is frying and grinding the ingredients for sambar masala.
Step 4:Combining all prepared mixtures with tamarind extract
Finally we need to cook veggies and tamarind along with the mixtures we prepared in step 1, 2 and 3 and finally garnish with coriander leaves and tempering in ghee. Ratna Cafe Style Sambar is ready!!!
Other yummy Sambar varieties to try:
Recipe Card:
Madras Ratna Cafe Sambar Recipe | How to make Ratna Cafe style Sambar ?
Equipments Needed
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
To make fresh Sambar Ground Masala
- ¼ tsp Mustard seeds
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 2 tsp Split Bengal Gram (Channa Dal / Kadalaparuppu)
- 2 tsp Urad Dal
- 6 nos Red Chili
- 1 tbsp Coriander seeds
- 2 tsp Grated Coconut (preferably Desiccated Coconut)
- 1 pinch Turmeric Powder
- 1 pinch Asafoetida (Asafetida / Hing)
For Sambar Gravy
- 2 nos Tomato small size
- 1 nos Onion big size
- 1 small piece Jaggery
Vegetables
- 10 nos Shallots / Baby Onions
- 1 nos Carrot chopped into cubes
- 1 nos Drumstick chopped into 2" size
- 1 nos Tomato chopped into 4 pices
- 50 grams Yellow Pumpkin
Dals for the Sambar
- ¼ cup Toor Dal (Pigeon pea)
- ¼ cup Moong dal
For Tempering
- 2 tsp Ghee
- ¼ tsp Fenugreek seeds
- 2 pinch Asafoetida (Asafetida / Hing)
- 1 sprig Curry leaves
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
Other items
- 1 gooseberry size Tamarind
- ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 handful Coriander Leaves chopped
Instructions
1. Preparation for making Sambar
- Soak the tamarind in a water and extract the tamarind Juice
- Take the Toor dal, Moong dal and roughly chopped pumpkin to a vessel and pressure cook them over 3-4 whistles. Once cooked, mash this mixture nicely with a laddle.
- Peel the baby onion. Also Chop the vegitables (1 drumstick, carrot and a tomato) keep it aside
2. Let's make the fresh sambar ground masala
- Heat the pan and add a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add a pinch of mustard seeds and allow it to sputter.
- Add the following one after another and fry them till nice aroma comes – fenugreek seeds, Channa dal, Urad dal, red chili, Dhaniya and desiccated coconut. Make sure that the ingredients don’t burn
- Take this to a mixer grinder. Add a pinch of tumeric powder, hing and grind it by adding little water. Make sure that the masala mixture is coarse and not a nice smooth paste.
3. Gravy for the Sambar
- Take two tomato, one onion (chopped), piece of jaggery and grind to a smooth mixture and set it aside.
4. Let's start making the sambar
- Heat a teaspoon of ghee in pan, and add mustard seeds (1 tsp) when the oil is hot. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the fenugreek seeds (1/2 tsp), curry leaves (few) and hing (a pinch) and fry for a minute.
- Add the peeled onion and fry them for few minutes till the raw smell goes off.
- Now add the chopped vegetables (carrot and drumstick), one tomato (chopped into 4 pices) along with turmeric and fry for a while. To this add water to cook the vegetables
- Allow the vegetables to cook for about 5-10 minutes in medium flame. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the tamarind extract and salt and allow the tamarind juice to boil for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
- Add the gravy (onion, tomato & jaggery paste) now. Now adjust the consistency of the sambar by adding water (approx. half cup)
- Also add the fresh sambar masala. Keep in medium flame and let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes.
- At this stage add the dal+pumpkin paste. Check the consistency of the sambar and adjust the same by adding water.
- When the sambar starts to boil, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves
Seasoning
- Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in pan, and add Cumin seeds when the ghee is hot. Once the cumin seeds begins to crack add the curry leaves and hing and fry for a minute. Add this to the Sambar
Sambar Ready!!
- Phew... ! The flavorful, colorful Sambar is ready to serve !. Enjoy this with Idli / Dosa or with a hot rice
Video
Notes
- Cook the vegetables before adding tamarind mixture. Drumsticks won't cook in the tamarind water.
- Choose the vegetables of your choice and add to this sambar. Usually sambar will be watery and less of vegetables.
Nutritional Info
1. PREPARATION FOR MAKING SAMBAR
-
Soak the tamarind in a water and extract the tamarind Juice
-
Take the Toor dal, Moong dal and roughly chopped pumpkin to a vessel and pressure cook them over 3-4 whistles. Once cooked, mash this mixture nicely with a laddle.
-
Peel the baby onion. Also Chop the vegitables (1 drumstick, carrot and a tomato) keep it aside
2. LET’S MAKE THE FRESH SAMBAR GROUND MASALA
-
Heat the pan and add a teaspoon of oil. When the oil is hot, add a pinch of mustard seeds and allow it to sputter.
-
Add the following one after another and fry them till nice aroma comes – fenugreek seeds, Channa dal, Urad dal, red chili, Dhaniya and desiccated coconut. Make sure that the ingredients don’t burn.
-
Take this to a mixer grinder. Add a pinch of tumeric powder, hing and grind it by adding little water. Make sure that the masala mixture is coarse and not a nice smooth paste.
3. GRAVY FOR THE SAMBAR
-
Take two tomato, one onion (chopped), piece of jaggery and grind to a smooth mixture and set it aside.
4. LET’S START MAKING THE SAMBAR
-
Heat a teaspoon of ghee in pan, and add mustard seeds (1 tsp) when the oil is hot. Once the mustard seeds begins to sputter add the fenugreek seeds (1/2 tsp), curry leaves (few) and hing (a pinch) and fry for a minute.
-
Add the peeled onion and sauté them for few minutes till the raw smell goes off.
-
Now add the chopped vegetables (carrot and drumstick), one tomato (chopped into 4 pices) along with turmeric and fry for a while. To this add water to cook the vegetables
-
Allow the vegetables to cook for about 5-10 minutes in medium flame. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add the tamarind extract and salt and allow the tamarind juice to boil for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes off.
-
Add the gravy (onion, tomato & jaggery paste) now. Now adjust the consistency of the sambar by adding water (approx. half cup)
-
Also add the fresh sambar masala. Keep in medium flame and let the mixture cook for about 5 minutes.
-
At this stage add the dal+pumpkin paste. Check the consistency of the sambar and adjust the same by adding water.
-
When the sambar starts to boil, switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves
SEASONING
-
Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in pan, and add Cumin seeds when the ghee is hot. Once the cumin seeds begins to crack add the curry leaves and hing and fry for a minute. Add this to the Sambar
Ratna Cafe Style SAMBAR READY!!
-
Phew… ! The flavorful, colorful Sambar is ready to serve !. Enjoy this with Idli / Dosa or with a hot rice
I will definitely try! Rathna Cafe sambar is so uniquely tasty- no one should miss eating it while in Chennai.
Indeed. Try and post the feedback.
We tried today. Followed exactly the recipe. The sambaar was as good as Ratna Cafe’s. Enjoyed eating Idli in a big bowl pouring Sambaar. You saved us Mumbai – Chennai fare. Thank you very much
Thanks Mr. Sankaran sir for the detailed feedback. Glad that you liked it.
Please give the link to his post
I would love to.. but don’t see that post any more in the forum.. Saw it as a forward.
Pl.send Ratna cafe sambar in Tamil version,there are using to our labours
Ratna Cafe Sambar
கொஞ்சமாக வாணலியில் எண்ணெய் விட்டு ஒரு பிஞ்ச் கடுகு போடவும்… வெடித்த பின் ஒரு பிஞ்ச் வெந்தயம், ஒரு ஸ்பூன் கடலைப் பருப்பு, ஒரு ஸ்பூன் உளுந்து, நாலு காய்ந்த மிளகாய், கலருக்காக இரண்டு காஷ்மீர் மிளகாய், மற்றும் மூன்று ஸ்பூன் தனியா, (கூடுதலானாலும் பரவாயில்லை…. குறைக்க வேண்டாம்), இரண்டு ஸ்பூன் டெசிகேட்டட் தேங்காய் துருவல் (பச்சைத் தேங்காய் அல்ல – இரகசியம் 1) ஆகியவற்றை ஒன்றன் பின் ஒன்றாக போட்டு வாசனை வரும்வரை வதக்கவும். பின்னர் கொஞ்சம் மஞ்சள் தூள், கொஞ்சமாக மசாலாவிற்கு மட்டும் தேவையான உப்பு, சற்றே கூடுதலாக பெருங்காயம் போட்டு நைசாக அரைக்காமல் கொஞ்சம் தரதரவென அரைக்கவும்.
பின்னர் இரண்டு தக்காளி, ஒரு பெரிய வெங்காயம், ஒரு துண்டு வெல்லம் ஆகியவற்றை நறுக்கி தனியாக அரைத்து வைத்துக் கொள்ளவும்.
சின்ன வெங்காயம் தவிர, முருங்கை மற்றும் கேரட் ஆகியவற்றை கொஞ்சமாகப் போட்டுக் கொள்ளலாம். சாம்பாரில் சி.வெங்காயம் இரண்டு பங்கு என்றால் முருங்கை கேரட் இரண்டும் ஒரு பங்கு போதும்…. சாம்பாரில் நீர் அதிகமாக இருக்க வேண்டும். காய்கள் அல்ல.
மஞ்சள் பூசணி ஒரு கப் அளவிற்கு மெல்லிசாக நறுக்கி தனியாக நன்றாக குழையும் அளவிற்கு வேக வைத்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும். மறந்து போய்க் கூட பச்சையாகவே அரைத்துக் கொள்ளலாம் என நினைக்க வேண்டாம். சாம்பார் பூசணியின் பச்சை வாசனை போகாமல் வேஸ்ட் ஆகிவிடும்.
வெந்த பின் பூசணியை நன்றாக தண்ணீர் விட்டு குழைத்துக் கொள்ளவும். இத்துடன் கொஞ்சமாக துவரம்பருப்பு, பயித்தம் பருப்பை நன்றாக குக்கரில் குழைய வேக வைத்து ஸ்மேஷ் செய்து சேர்த்துக் கொள்ளவும். (எவ்வளவு பருப்பு என்று கேட்பவர்களுக்காக… வெந்த பருப்பின் அளவு பூசணிக்காயின் அளவில் முக்கால் பங்கு மட்டும்)
(இரண்டு பருப்புகள் கூடவே பூசணியையும் சேர்த்து குக்கரில் குழைய வேக வைக்கலாம்)
இதோ சமையல் ஆரம்பம்…
நல்ல ஒரு பாத்திரத்தில் ஒரு ஸ்பூன் நெய் விட்டு (இரகசியம் 2) கடுகு, ஒரு பிஞ்ச் வெந்தயம், பெருங்காயம், கருவேப்பிலை தாளிக்கவும்.
அடுத்து உரித்த வெங்காயத்தைப் போட்டு நன்றாக பச்சை வாசனை போகும் வரை வதக்கவும்.
ஒரு நெல்லிக்காயளவு புளியைக் கரைத்து தேவையான அளவு நீர் விட்டு வெங்காயத்தை கொதிக்க விடவும். ஒரே ஒரு தக்காளியை நான்கு துண்டாக்கிப் போடவும் (இரகசியம் 3)
கொதி வந்தவுடன் தக்காளி, வெங்காயம், வெல்லம் (ரகசியம் 4) அரைத்த விழுதைப் போடவும்.
தண்ணீரின் அளவை இப்போது கூட்டவும் (தேவைக்கு ஏற்ப).
இத்துடன் மசாலாவைக் கலக்கி கொதிக்க வைக்கவும்
கொதி வந்தவுடன் கலந்து வைத்த பருப்பு, பூசணி விழுதைப் போட்டு கொதிக்க விடவும். தண்ணீர் அளவை இங்கும் கூட்டலாம்.
இப்போது தேவையான உப்பு, மற்றும் மஞ்சள் சேர்த்து கொதிக்க விடவும்….
இத்துடன் வெந்த முருங்கை (கட்டாயம் அதன் தண்ணீருடன்) மற்றும் கேரட்டைப் போடவும்.
கூடவே கொத்தமல்லி இலைகளை கடைசியாக நறுக்கிப் போடவும். கொதித்தபின் கொத்தமல்லியைப் போடுவமே உசிதம். வாசனை அள்ளும்….
கடைசியாக (இரகசியம் 5)….
ஒரு ஸ்பூன் நெய்யில் கருவேப்பிலை கொஞ்சம் சீரகம் பெருங்காயம் மட்டும் போட்டு தாளிக்கவும்….
சாம்பாரை நீர்க்க செய்ய வேண்டும்….
செய்து பார்த்து விட்டு கமெண்ட் போடுங்கள்.
Fantastic. Thanks for the detailed recipe in english and tamil.
Thanks Syamala for your comments
Thanks for detail sambar recipe. Waiting for other south recipes .Is there any instant powder recipe to avoid boiling mung dal and Tuva dal for making sambar.
Sulekha, dal is one main ingredient for sambar. I’m afraid that there is no alternative for it.
Why grind mustard with the ingredients?
Hi Mallika, I just followed the recipe shared by an uncle. I made the sambar as per his instructions and it turned out good. I’m not sure if its mandatory to grind mustard but the taste is awesome so I’m just blindly following 🙂
Made it today. This was fabulous. Thank you
Thanks Meera.
Can I make sambhar with out onion garlic & tamarind
yes we can very well exclude onion, garlic. If you need to exclude tamarind, increase the tomato quantity
Very good recipe. The sambar came out very well and absolutely great
Excellent recipe. Tried it twice and both occasions the taste was awesome. Great recipe!!!
So glad to hear. Thanks Vasanth
This recipe is a keeper! Thx for sharing
Thank you .Very glad to know
I wish to try this recipe. Please advise if the vegetable described as ‘drumstick’ is from the moringa plant, i.e. long, skinny with ridges. Thanks and kind regards
yes its from Moringa plant.
Please send recipi tamil seperate not anderstend very confusing
Lovely recipe but can you please advise how much water you put in with the Dal in the pressure cooker?
Thank you. We can add 1 to 1.25 cups of water to the dal.
Thank you sooo much!
Sowmya, thank you for creating this amazing repository of recipes, for a working mom this is a great resource. I especially enjoy all the South Indian ones 🙂 with traditional flavors and glad that you are able to team with family to do it.
Sohappy to hear Padmaja. Thank you so much
Wowww what a description! I made it few days back for pongal and it was a instant hit that I’m again going to make it for idli. Comment from my hubby, “We must go to Ratna Cafe once particularly for this Sambar :-D” Thanks a lot for sharing the recipe. From now on, definitely this is going to be the Sambar recipe in my house for tiffin items.
Thanks for your lovely comments
The ingredients are different betweeen Tamil & English versions. Also the Tamil versions have a few ‘secrets’, which the english version is not hi-lighting. Can u pl. clarify. Thanx.
Anything in particular are your referring? Can you pls clarify
Tried it.. it was awesome… Just resembled hotel Sambar..
Thanks. Glad you liked.
Hello Sowmya. Can I cook the dhalls in normal pot?
yes we can cook in normal pot but it takes time.
We tried this sambhar and all enjoyed it. One question, the ingredients list “fenugreek seeds” under the tempering heading, but the final step in the instructions ,for seasoning , does not include fenugreek seeds. PLease clarify… Thank you again
Oh sorry its a mistake. Please add fenugreek seeds while seasoning. Thanks.
I made sambar using ur recipe with the medhu vadas and it was too good and delicious..
So glad to hear Thank you 🙏
Tried it again today…came out awesome… Saved me the trip to rathna cafe and also lot of positive acknowledgement/comments from family members… took about 90 min from scratch without hurrying,and it’s worth a lot more….thanks for sharing this special recipe
So glad to hear! thanks a lot