Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe | Tamil nadu Tiffin Sambar – Side Dish For Idli Dosa Pongal

Published : | Last updated : March 6, 2025 | By
Hotel sambar

I think most of you would have tried varieties of Tamil nadu hotel style idli sambar recipes at home. Even I too posted an idli sambar with toor dal long time back which learnt from my MIL. It tastes similar to the hotel ones. But I should say this is the exact recipe for restaurant style sambar. I got this recipe from Aval vikatan’s supplementary.

Yesterday I tried this for my guests. My guests liked it so much, I was showered with compliments and they were asking for the recipe. Thanks to Mrs. Revathy shanmugam for this yummy hotel kind of recipe. It tastes mildly tangy with more of dal, less spicy and you can even drink this sambar.
 
You can use this as basic Tiffin sambar recipe for making sambar vada,Mini idli sambar etc. It’s a great side dish for Idli, dosa recipes. My friend Jayarani gave me a tip recently. She told me to add pumpkin instead of jaggery and she also suggested me to use drumstick.

 Yes, as she told adding pumpkin gave a mild sweetness and drumstick gave a nice flavour. I have updated the recipe adding them. Do try this, I am sure you’ll get the exact taste as in most of the restaurants. It goes well with idli , dosa , Venpongal and vada. 

Check out this recipe for another version of hotel sambar if interested.


Check out my MINI IDLI SAMBAR RECIPE too.


Hotel idli sambar



Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe

Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe – Restaurant style Tiffin Sambar Recipe

Cuisine: Indian
Category: Side dish
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 15 Minutes
Cook time: 15 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

1 cup – 250ml

  • Toor dal OR Moong dal – 1/3 cup
  • Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Cooking Oil – A drop
  • Pumpkin – 4-6 pieces ( cube sized)
  • Drumstick – 1 no ( Chop into small pieces)
  • Vegetables ( Carrot & potato) – If needed.
  • Tamarind – 2 seeds (approx. small gooseberry size)

To roast and grind

  • Cooking Oil – 1 tsp
  • Dhania / Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp
  • Chana dal – 2 tbsp
  • Red chillies – 6 nos
  • Methi seeds – 1/2 tsp

To temper & saute

  • Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  • Urad dal –1tsp
  • Jeera / cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chillies – 2 nos (pinched)
  • Curry leaves – a few
  • Asafetida/Hing – few pinches
  • Small onion – a cup
  • Tomato – 1- 2 nos
  • Sambar powder – 1/2 tsp
  • Coriander leaves – to garnish
  • Jaggery – 1 tsp ( Add if you don’t use pumpkin)
  • Ghee – 1 tbsp
HOW TO MAKE HOTEL IDLI SAMBAR – METHOD


  • Soak tamarind in warm water for 20 minutes and take the extract. Set aside.
  • Peel the onions and chop the tomatoes. Pressure cook the dals with turmeric powder, pumpkin pieces and a drop of oil. Mash and set aside. Cook drumstick and other vegetables separately and set aside
  • In a kadai roast all the above said ingredients and make it a fine powder.
 
  • In the same kadai , add oil and temper all the items in the same order. Now add the sambar onions and saute till transparent. Then add the tomatoes ( crush it with your hands before adding , this makes the sauting process faster ) and required salt. Saute till tomatoes turn mushy and juicy. Add the tamarind extract , raw pinched curry leaves , hing, sambar powder and turmeric powder.
  • Allow to boil till the onions get cooked. Now add the mashed dal,cooked vegetables ( if using) and the ground powder. Mix well so that there are no lumps.
  • Boil for few minutes. It will thicken. Add more water if necessary. Switch off the flame add garnish with coriander leaves.
  • Last but not the least, don’t forget to add a tbsp of ghee & Cover it with a lid until you serve.. 

Enjoy with idli, dosa and pongal!

Note
  • U can use the combination of moong dal and toor dal in equal quantities and make this sambar.
  • Adding pumpkin gives a sweetness to the sambar. So no need to add jaggery or sugar. If you don’t add pumpkin use either jaggery or sugar while sambar boils.
  • Make this sambar atleast 3-4 hours before serving because all the tastes blends well. U can reheat it while serving.
  • For variations, you can add a tbsp of grated coconut while roasting the powder ingredients and powder them.
  • Tastes great the next day with full aroma !!
ENJOY THIS SAMBAR WITH SOFT IDLIES.CRISPY DOSA & VEN PONGAL !!


Related Posts

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

53 thoughts on “Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe | Tamil nadu Tiffin Sambar – Side Dish For Idli Dosa Pongal”

  31. Anonymous

    hi chitra,
    i tried this sambar last week and it came out really well. Tasted exactly like hotel sambar. My hubby liked it very much. We had it with pongal, dosa and vada. Tasted even better the second day. thanks for the post.

    I would appreciate if u add a seperate section for "Festival Sweets" (hindu festivals and the sweets – naivedyam we make for it). It will help the people living in abroad like me a lot.

    Thanks,
    Radhu.

    Reply
  37. Unknown

    Chitra love u ragi idli came out very soft n prepared hotel style sambar which u had posted,my hubby n kids were very happy tnx a lot.

    Reply
  38. Saravana

    We prepared this sambar today and it was absolutely delicious. We totally loved it. It tasted great with dosa. We felt that the taste was excellent than the restaurant ones. We will make this often for sure. Thank you so much sharing this recipe and for your help in my queries to try this recipe.

    Reply
  43. mani

    Hi Chitra.. I tried the Sambar and pongal receipe.. it came out superb.. I prepared the same dish earlier,but this is best.. Thanks for this wonderful receipe..My wife is very much impressed ����

    Reply
  44. mani

    Hi Chitra.. I had tried the pongal and sambar recipe.. It came out really superb.. Thanks for the wonderful recipe.. My wife liked it very much. Keep up the good work 😊

    Reply
Scroll to Top