Sambhar Powder

The Sambhar Powder is the key ingredient in any Sambhar dish. This is the spice mix that lends its taste to Sambhar. The powder is available in stores under different brands. Each one will have a different taste based on the type of recipe they follow. Different parts of India follow different variations of this powder.The recipe I have posted below is the one followed by my mom. This will give you a typical 'Tambram' taste in your Sambhar. 

You can increase or decrease the quantity of ingredients in the recipe depending on your taste buds. 

Ingredients:

• Dry Red Chillies - 250 gms
• Corriander Seeds or Dhaniya - 500 gms
• Pepper - 80 gms
• Methi seeds - 100 gms
• Toor Dal - 1 to 1.5 cups
• Channa Dal - 1 cup
• Dry Turmeric - 2 pieces (or turmeric powder - 2 tsp) - This is optional

Method:

1. Dry roast all these ingredients one by one separately. You can roast them till they red. But ensure they do not get burnt. (No need to roast turmeric)
2. Once the roasted ingredients have cooled down, powder them together into a fine powder. You can use your mixie at home for smaller quantities or take it to a flour mill. If grinding at home, sieve the powder once or twice to ensure that big particles are removed. You can also re-grind the coarse particles to get a fine powder.
3. Allow the ground powder to cool before storing it in an air tight container. These powders can be stored for a few months and used when needed. Ensure that the powder is not exposed to any moisture.

If required, you can also take very small quantities of the ingredients and make this powder just before making sambhar. You can also add grated coconut at that time. That will give a fresh and different flavour than the regular sambhar.