Idli Sambar Recipe | Tiffin Sambar | Hotel-Style Idli Sambar Recipe with detailed photo and video recipe. A lentil-based spicy soup or curry recipe made with a blend of spices and vegetables. Idli recipes are incomplete without chutney or sambar, and ideally, most people crave the idli-sambar combination for their morning breakfast. There are many ways to prepare sambar, and this recipe post is dedicated to the traditional South Indian version.
Idli Sambar Recipe | Tiffin Sambar | Hotel-Style Idli Sambar Recipe with step-by-step photo and video recipe. There are different types of sambar recipes practised across India. Each has its purpose, which boils down to being served with rice or as a side dish to South Indian breakfast dishes. One such purpose-based lentil soup is idli sambar, also known as tiffin sambar, which is typically served with idli or dosa recipes.
I do not prefer to have my idli sambar this way, and I like it to be thick with a coconut masala. My previous version featured coconut, and I am sunsetting that post, as most of my readers have requested just lentil. Hence, I thought of redrafting and re-sharing my old tiffin sambar recipe. The significant difference between these two recipes lies in the use of ground coconut masala and the vegetables added. In this recipe, I have added veggies like brinjal, drumsticks, beans, potatoes and small onions. Whereas, in my previous post, the recipe was made with just diced potatoes and diced onions. In addition to these, I had also added garam masala powder while grinding the coconut masala paste, whereas no such spice has been added here.
Anyway, I would like to add a few tips and suggestions to make a perfect and flavoured idli sambar recipe. Firstly, in this post, I have shared the recipe for making fresh sambar powder, which I highly recommend. You can prepare this powder well in advance and use it whenever needed. Typically, it should last for a minimum of 2-3 weeks when stored in an airtight container. Alternatively, you can use store-bought powder if it is specified as tiffin sambar, as you may end up making rice sambar. In addition, do not compromise on the vegetables and try to mix them up as much as possible.
Finally, be sure to visit my other Sambar Recipe Collection, which includes this post on Idli Sambar Recipe. It includes sambar variations such as Udupi sambar, aloo baingan, hotel-style sambar for rice, radish sambar, drumstick sambar, okra sambar, and gobi sambar. In addition, do not forget to visit my other related recipe collections like,
About Idli Sambar
Unlike the traditional homemade sambar, which is often prepared as a side to rice, hotel-style idli sambar is lighter and more aromatic. It usually features a unique combination of toor dal, pumpkin, or ash gourd, along with a secret spice blend, simmered to perfection. The flavour is enhanced with a slightly sweet taste from jaggery and a splash of tamarind, giving it that signature balance of tang, spice, and warmth. What makes this version so irresistible is its consistency — it’s not too thick and not too watery, just right to soak into soft, fluffy idlis without overpowering them. The tempering (tadka) of mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies, and asafoetida adds a fragrant, toasty finish that lingers on the palate.
Idli Sambar makes Idli Meal Complete – Even if you have coconut chutney on the plate, the sambar is non-negotiable. It’s the soul of the idli breakfast, soaking the idlis in flavour and elevating the meal from simple to soul-satisfying. Many hotel-goers ask for extra servings of sambar — not because they need it for the idlis, but because the sambar itself is that delicious. It’s not uncommon to see people drinking it like soup once their idlis are done — a spicy, tangy, warming broth to end the meal on a comforting note.
Fun Fact:
In many South Indian hotels, servers intuitively top up your sambar without being asked — a mark of good hospitality and a silent nod to its cult-like fan following. Some regulars even skip the idlis altogether and just sip on hot sambar with a spoon or straight from the bowl!
Chef Pro Tips for Idli Sambar
The recipe for Idli Sambar is straightforward and can be made by even a novice chef. Yet, some tips and suggestions to make it more effective:
- Dal Combination – The best dal to use for this sambar is toor dal or pigeon pea split dal. However, adding a small portion of moong dal with toor makes it more silky in texture, like hotels do.
- Vegetable Combination – Use a basic vegetable combination, such as potatoes, beans, ash gourd, carrots, onions, and pumpkin. Adding carrots and pumpkin helps to get a mild sweetness and depth to the sambar recipe.
- Sweet & Sour Flavour – The use of jaggery and sour tamarind is a must. Soak the tamarind and extract as much tamarind juice as possible. Also, boil this juice with salt, chilli and jaggery for a balanced and flavoured taste.
- Sambar Powder – Either use fresh, homemade sambar powder or roast store-bought powder in a bit of ghee for 30 seconds before adding it to the sambar. This releases the aroma and avoids a raw spice taste.
- Tempering & Topping – Adding tadka with hing topping to the tadka oil enhances the flavour and taste. Mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, a pinch of hing (asafoetida) — this is what gives that irresistible aroma.
Video Recipe
Recipe Card for Idli Sambar
Idli Sambar Recipe | Hotel Style Tiffin Sambar
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tomato, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 potato, chopped
- 6 beans, chopped
- 10 pieces drumsticks
- 2 tsp salt
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 2 chilli
- few curry leaves
- 4 cup water
- ½ cup tamarind extract
- 1 tsp jaggery
- 2 cup cooked toor dal
- 2 cup water
- 2 tbsp sambar powder
- 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
For tempering:
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard
- ½ tsp urad dal
- 1 dried red chilli
- pinch hing
- few curry leaves
Instructions
- Firstly, in a large vessel, take 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 onion and saute well.
- Add 1 tomato, 1 carrot, 1 potato, 6 beans, 10 pieces of drumsticks, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 chillies, and a few curry leaves. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of water and boil for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are half-cooked.
- Now, add ½ cup tamarind extract and 1 tsp jaggery, and continue to boil until the vegetables are cooked well.
- Add 2 cups of cooked toor dal and 2 cups of water, and mix well, adjusting the consistency as needed.
- Add 2 tbsp sambar powder and 1 tsp salt. Mix and boil for 5 minutes.
- Now, prepare the tempering by heating 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard, ½ tsp urad dal, 1 dried red chilli, a pinch of hing, and a few curry leaves.
- Splutter the tempering and pour over the sambar.
- Also, add 2 tbsp coriander and mix well.
- Finally, enjoy Idli Sambar with hot steamed idlis or dosas.
Nutrition
How to Make Idli Sambar with Step-by-step Photos
- Firstly, in a large vessel, take 2 tbsp oil. Add 1 onion and saute well.
- Add 1 tomato, 1 carrot, 1 potato, 6 beans, 10 pieces of drumsticks, 1 tsp salt, ½ tsp turmeric, 2 chillies, and a few curry leaves. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add 4 cups of water and boil for 5 minutes or until the vegetables are half-cooked.
- Now, add ½ cup tamarind extract and 1 tsp jaggery, and continue to boil until the vegetables are cooked well.
- Add 2 cups of cooked toor dal and 2 cups of water, and mix well, adjusting the consistency as needed.
- Add 2 tbsp sambar powder and 1 tsp salt. Mix and boil for 5 minutes.
- Now, prepare the tempering by heating 1 tbsp of coconut oil. Add 1 tsp mustard, ½ tsp urad dal, 1 dried red chilli, a pinch of hing, and a few curry leaves.
- Splutter the tempering and pour over the sambar. Also, add 2 tbsp coriander and mix well.
- Finally, enjoy Idli Sambar with hot steamed idlis or dosas.
Notes
- Firstly, ensure that the vegetables are partially cooked before adding the tamarind; otherwise, there is a risk that the vegetables will not cook uniformly.
- Additionally, if you don’t have access to sambar powder, you can use rasam powder instead.
- Additionally, ensure that you whisk the dal until smooth to achieve a good texture for the sambar.
- Finally, Idli Sambar Recipe tastes great when a variety of vegetables are added.