Coimbatore Annapoorna Hotel Sambar Recipe – Restaurant Style Idli Sambar Recipe

Coimbatore Annapoorna hotel sambar was in my try list for years. Usually I make varieties of idli, dosa at least thrice in week. So I keep trying different side dishes, it may be either chutney or sambar. As a result of this, I could share a collection of South Indian style 50 chutney recipes and 30 idli sambar/Tiffin sambar recipes in my blog. In my idli sambar collection, I have already shared few hotel style sambar recipes like Saravana bhavan hotel sambar, Tamilnadu style hotel sambar ( Madurai, Tirunelveli), easy restaurant style sambar, Udupi hotel style sambar and AAB sambar recipes. But my collection won’t be a complete one without some of the most popular idli sambar recipes like Coimbatore Annapoorna Hotel Tiffin sambar and Madras Ratna Cafe Sambar. I have tasted this sambar only once from Hotel Sree Annapoorna Sree Gowri Shankar near Coimbatore Bus stand. 

Recently my friend Sudha suggested me to try this sambar recipe from Kannamma’s blog. Thank you so much Suguna & Chef Mr.Palanisami for sharing this wonderful recipe with us. After seeing the excellent feedbacks from many readers of Coimbatore, I got the confidence to try it. Just like other hotel sambar recipes, this one also calls for roasting, grinding and adding freshly ground spices. But the ingredients for sambar powder is different.

Actually my friend had advised me to use half the quantity of ingredients as the yield of this sambar will be more for a 2-3 members family. So I halved the quantity of sambar powder ingredients & dal, modified the cooking procedure slightly for ease. Raksha & Sendhil loved it a lot. Friends, do try this yummy hotel style sambar recipe at home (If possible with drumstick). Its one of the best side dish for idli/ mini idli, dosa, pongal and vada. You will love it for sure. Ok, Lets see how to make this yummy, Coimbatore special Annapoorna hotel sambar recipe with step by step photos and a video !! Don’t forget to go through the “Points to note” given below.

UPDATED :  Recently I tasted this sambar in Annapoorna hotel, Coimbatore. I felt the sambar was more sweet in taste and I could smell some ginger too. So I have updated this recipe based on the one I tasted. Also I tried this sambar with drumstick and updated a picture above. When I added drumstick, it tasted good with rice as well. So this sambar can be had with rice if you add drumstick. But reduce the quantity of jaggery if making for rice. Also see the actual color of sambar. I served it with brown rice idli below.

Please check the video recipe below.

POINTS TO NOTE

1. As per the original recipe, the quantity of drumstick should be twice that of toor dal. For this quantity, you should use 1 drumstick. Chop into small finger size pieces. Alternatively, you can use 2 brinjal, 1 medium carrot,1 medium sized potato. But flavor of the sambar may vary.
2. If you add drumstick, u can serve this sambar with rice too. Color of the sambar also varies.
3. This Sambar masala needs 12 ingredients. So please keep them ready in a plate before roasting. Roasting the spices perfectly is the key for this sambar.So do not burn them.
4. According to the original recipe, the quantity of tamarind and jaggery should be equal. But I reduced the jaggery as Sendhil doesn’t like the sweet taste in sambar.
5. I used long red chilli but original recipe called for using guntur chilli. So slight color deviation in the sambar was there. 
6. The original recipe called for pressure cooking tomato, onion and drumstick pieces separately for one or two whistles in high flame whereas I cooked them along with the dal by keeping them in a small box inside the cooker. Refer the pics and video for more detail. I did this to reduce the cooking time of sambar.
7. As a general rule of hotel sambar, it tastes the best when you give more standing time.So if you prepare this sambar for your guest, prepare it 3-4 hours in advance. Reheat it at the time of serving.
8. The yield of this sambar will be more as it thickens when cools down. So add little water at the end, mix well, check for salt and then serve.
9. If you want to make this sambar only for 2 people, use half of the quantity of ingredients mentioned.
10. Adding ghee at the end is a must. It gives awesome flavor to this sambar.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves without fail.

Annapoorna Hotel Style Idli Sambar Recipe

Coimbatore Annapoorna Hotel Idli Sambar Recipe - One of the best hotel sambar recipes !

Cuisine: South Indian

Category: Side dish for Idli, dosa

Serves: Serves 4

Prep time: 10 Minutes

Cook time: 20 Minutes

Total time: 30 Minutes

Chitra Ganapathy

INGREDIENTS
1 cup - 250ml

To pressure cook Toor dal - 1/4 cup Water - 2 cups Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp Cooking oil - Few drops Tomato - 1 no ( Chopped) Big onion - 1 no ( cube cut) Drumstick - 1/2 no ( Chop into small finger size) For sambar powder Sesame oil/Gingely oil - 2 tsp Methi seeds - 1/8 tsp Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp Pepper corns - 3 nos Red chilli - 2 nos ( I used long variety, 3 Guntur chilli can also be used) Coriander seeds/Dhania - 2 tsp Chana dal - 1 tbsp Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp Grated coconut or dry coconut - 1 tbsp Curry leaves -  5 nos ( 1/2 sprig) Asafetida - 2 big pinches Jaggery - 1 tsp to 2 tsp (I used 2 tsp after tasting the original sambar) Ginger - 1/4 tsp ( chop finely, optional) Tamarind - Medium gooseberry size ( slightly bigger than small gooseberry size) Water – 2 + 1/2 cup ( To boil + grind) To temper Sesame oil/Gingely oil - 2 tsp Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp Curry leaves - few Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp To garnish Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp ( finely chopped) Ghee - 1 tbsp

HOW TO MAKE ANNAPOORNA HOTEL SAMBAR - METHOD

In a cooker base, add toor dal, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder and few drops of cooking oil. In a small box, add chopped onion, tomato, drumstick pieces or other vegetables if using. Add 1/4 cup water. Keep the box inside the cooker. Pressure cook in low flame for 2 whistles. Open the cooker and take the box out. Keep aside.Mash the dal with a whisk or ladle. Set aside. In a kadai, heat 2 tsp sesame oil. Roast methi seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal, urad dal, red chilli, pepper corns, dhania and roast till dals turn golden in color. Add pinched tamarind. Saute for a second. Add the curry leaves, hing, grated coconut, ginger and jaggery. Saute for 30 seconds. Grind this mixture to a smooth paste adding 1/2 cup water. Slightly coarse paste is also fine. In the same kadai, add the ground paste + 2 cups of water.Mix well and boil for few minutes. Add the cooked onion+ tomato + Veggies mixture.Boil for a minute. Add the mashed dal, required salt & boil the sambar in medium flame for few minutes. Heat oil in a kadai and when it gets heated , splutter mustard seeds, curry leaves. SWITCH OFF THE FLAME !  Add red chilli powder, mix well quickly and add this to the boiling sambar. Do not burn the red chilli powder. Boil the sambar for a minute. Last but not the least, add 2 tsp ghee,  chopped coriander leaves and mix well. Serve hot with idli ! This sambar becomes thick as it cools down. So add water to adjust the consistency before serving. Check for salt as well. Enjoy !

Note

Adjust the quantity of red chilli & chilli powder if you want more spicy taste. Do not add more tamarind. Tamarind should be minimum for idli sambar. This sambar becomes thick as it cools down. So add water whenever needed, mix well. Check for salt and serve.

Enjoy this yummy idli sambar with piping hot idli ! Tastes great.

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