Beetroot Sambar Recipe - Tangy Beetroot Lentil Curry

Beetroot Sambar is a tangy sambar recipe which is filled with the goodness of Beetroot and you can serve it with Steamed rice and Thoran of your choice.

Archana Doshi
10644 ratings.

Beetroot Sambar Recipe is a very traditional South Indian lentil curry made from beetroots that is cooked with tangy tamarind and flavored with homemade sambar powder.

My father used to make the beetroot sambar almost every Sunday along with potato roast and it continues to be my all time favourite for me and now my children too.

Serve Beetroot Sambar along with Chow Chow ThoranSteamed Rice and Elai Vadam for a weekday meal. 

If you like this recipe, you can also try other Sambar recipes such as

  1. Keerai Sambar Recipe
  2. Tomato Onion Sambar Recipe
  3. Tamil Nadu Style Vengaya Sambar Recipe

Course: Lunch
Diet: High Protein Vegetarian
Prep in

10 M

Cooks in

45 M

Total in

55 M

Makes:

3 Servings

Ingredients

  • 1 Beetroot , peeled and diced
  • 10 Pearl onions (Sambar Onions) , quartered
  • 1 cup Arhar dal (Split Toor Dal)
  • 1-1/2 cups Tamarind Water
  • 1 tablespoon Sambar Powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Haldi)
  • Salt , to taste
  • Ingredients for Seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon Sesame (Gingelly) Oil
  • 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds (Rai/ Kadugu)
  • 2 pinch SSP Asafoetida (Hing)
  • 2 sprig Curry leaves , torn
  • 1 Dry Red Chilli
  • 4 sprig Coriander (Dhania) Leaves , chopped for garnishing

How to make Beetroot Sambar Recipe - Tangy Beetroot Lentil Curry

  1. To begin making the Beetroot Sambar recipe, we will first cook the toor dal with 2 cups of water, for 2 whistles and turn the heat to low. Simmer for 3 to 4 minutes and turn off the heat. Allow the pressure to release naturally.

  2. See video recipe of how to cook lentils using pressure cooker.

  3. If you find that the cooked dal is too thick and mushy, add water to it and whisk it till it becomes a thick pouring consistency.

  4. Next, cook the beetroot along with the tamarind water, onions, salt and sambar powder in a pressure cooker, until it becomes soft and tender (about 3 whistles). Turn off the heat after three whistles and allow the pressure to release naturally. 

  5. Add the cooked beetroot sambar along with the toor dal into a large saucepan. Place it on medium heat and check the salt and spice levels. Adjust by adding more of the salt or sambar powder. Bring the beetroot sambar to a brisk boil.

  6. While the beetroot sambar is boiling, we will now get the seasoning ready.

  7. Heat oil in a tadka pan; add the mustard seeds and the red chillies, stir for a few seconds until the mustard crackles and the red chilli is roasted. Finally, add the curry leaves and asafoetida powder and turn off the heat. 

  8. Pour this seasoning to the simmering beetroot sambar, add in the coriander leaves and stir. Turn off the heat and transfer the beetroot sambar to a serving bowl.

  9. Serve Beetroot Sambar along with Chow Chow ThoranSteamed Rice and Elai Vadam for a weekday meal.