South Indian Green Bean Sambar
Yellow lentil and vegetable curry

French bean / String bean & lentil curry
for rice, Idli, Vada etc.

Green Bean Sambar recipe with a video and step by step written recipe is a popular south Indian recipe.

Sambar is made with yellow lentil, known as pigeon peas - Tuvar dal - toor dal and vegetables.

green bean sambar

Sambar is an important side dish that is served with Idli, Rava Idli, Dosa , upma, Steamed Rice - Plain rice etc.

This is a quicker version of the traditional sambar. By the time toor dal is cooked, vegetable mix with sambar powder is ready.

You can use any vegetables of your choice such as onions, potatoes, tomatoes, brinjals, beans, cabbage, knolkol, raddish etc. Adding drumstick/moringa gives a special taste to the sambar.

You may use any one or a mix of these vegetables.Today, I am using green beans and tomatoes.

About sambar powder

The taste of sambar powder that you use is important for making any sambar. There are many brands selling sambar powder, so you may get readymade sambar masala or you may make your own homemade sambar masala. Here is my homemade sambar masala recipe.

The sambar powder can be made in large quantities and stored for 6 months or more. I usually make it for about 3 months.

Freshly made sambar powder has a special taste so I am also making fresh sambar powder for this recipe.

But You may use 1 1/2 tbsp ready sambar powder instead if you do not have time to make fresh sambar powder now.

If you are using ready sambar powder, you may skip the info to make sambar powder in small quantity given below.

How to make sambar powder in small quantity

Step by step instructions for making sambar

Ingredients for Sambar Powder

Coriander seeds - 1 table spoon
Chana dal - 1 tea spoon
Urad dal -1/2 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
Asafetida - 1/4 tea spoon
Red chillies - 2 to 4, according to taste
Black pepper - 1/4 tea spoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
Methi (fenugreek) seeds - 1/4 tea spoon

Making sambar powder

Roast the sambar powder ingredients on low flame.
Grind to fine powder.

How to make Green Bean Sambar - South Indian lentil recipe

Main ingredients for Green Bean Sambar

Ingredients for mixed veg Sambar for 2-3 servings:

Toor dal - 1 small cup
Green beans - 4-5 cut
Tamarind - a lime sized ball or you may use store bought tamarind pulp
Tomatoes - 2 medium sized, chopped
Curry leaves - a sprig.
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp chopped.
Salt - 1 tea spoon or to taste.
Water - 3-4 cups.
Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves, chopped - 1 tbsp

Optional ingredients

Jaggery / gud - 1/2 tsp or according to taste.
Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Sambar powder (homemade or store bought) - 1 1/2 tbsp

Ingredients for tempering:

Oil + ghee - 1 tsp each
Mustard / rai seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin / jeera seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida / hing - 1 pinch
Turmeric powder / haldi - 1/4 teaspoon.

How to extract tamarind juice

Soak tamarind in 1 cup of warm water for about 15 minutes. Squeeze tamarind and get pulp/juice. Discard the seeds and thread.
The quantity of pulp you use in sambar will depend on the sourness you like.

Cooking toor dal

Wash 1 small cup toor dal and soak it for 20-30 minutes. Soaking reduces cooking time. If you do not have time for soaking, you can cook it for 1 extra whistle if you are pressure cooking.
Add 1 1/2 cups of water, 1 or 2 chopped green chili and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and 1 tsp cooking oil to dal.
I use a separator in the pressure cooker for toor dal when I cook rice. Cook dal till it is soft. I usually cook for 2 whistles after soaking for 30 minutes. Let the pressure cooker cool naturally.
You may cook it on the stove top in a pot/pan if you find that convenient.

I usually use pressure cooker after soaking dal as it is faster. I put dal in a separator and cook dal along with rice. As the dal is already soaked, the dal cooks in the same time as rice.

cooked toor/arhar dal

After the cooker has cooled naturally,

Mash toor dal using the back of a ladle or a potato masher. You may use a blender if you wish. Or you may just mash it up using your hand.
Keep aside till our vegetables are ready.

mashed toor/arhar dal

Making mixed veg sambar

While the toor dal is cooking, we will get the green beans ready. And chop the tomatoes too.

Remove both the ends and strings from green beans.

How to make tempering

Heat vegetable oil/ghee in a small tadka pan.
Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
When they start spluttering add curry leaves.
Switch off flame.
Add hing/asafetida and turmeric powder.

Add the chopped beans to a pan.
Add enough water to cover the beans.
Heat the pan and let the water/vegetables boil.
Cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium low flame.
When beans are cooked a little bit, they will change color, add chopped tomatoes.
Cover and cook till tomatoes become soft .

Add a cup of water after tomatoes are cooked.
Add sambar powder, salt and jaggery(if adding) .
Mix and bring to boil. Let boil for about 5 minutes on low flame.

Add fresh grated coconut.
Mix and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cooked and mashed toor dal.
Add water according to the consistency you need for sambar.
You may make it as thick or thin as you like.
Today I am going to keep it a bit thick.

Add tamarind pulp/juice according to the sourness you like. We may add jaggery (optional) to balance the sourness or you may omit jaggery.
I usually add a litle jaggery.

Add the tempering to the boiling sambar.
Cover for a few minutes.

Mix well. Add more water if sambar looks too thick.
Add water if you want the consistency thin and continue boiling for another 5 minutes.

Add chopped coriander leaves and switch off. Keep covered till serving time.

Sambar is ready to serve with Meduvada, Dosa, Rava Idli , Rice etc.

Enjoy

Tips and variations

You may also use some other vegetables such as potatoes, okra(ladies finger), knolkol etc.
You may store leftover sambar in the fridge for 3-4 days. Just reheat and serve.