How long does sambar last in the fridge?

Sambar is a spicy lentil dish that goes well with rice or roti. This recipe calls for tamarind pulp, which adds tangy flavor to the dish. Sambar usually lasts for 3 days in the refrigerator. How long does it stay good after opening? Sambar is a very common Indian dish that is often served at lunchtime. It is also a great way to get kids excited about cooking. The spice level in sambar depends on the type of masala spice mixture used. There are two types of masalas commonly used in India: dry and wet. Dry masalas are ground spices that are mixed before being added to dishes. Wet masalas are soaked in water and then dried out before they are added to food. Most sambars contain tamarind pulp, a sour fruit that has a tangy taste. Tamarind pulp is available in cans or jars. If you don’t want to open a jar, you can add some fresh tamarind to the sambar instead

 

In this article, we will answer the question “How long does sambar last in the fridge?”, and how to make sambar?

 

How long does sambar last in the fridge?

 

Sambar stays good in the fridge for 2-4 days if kept at a constant temperature of 4 degrees or below. To make the sambar last longer, make sure you store it within 2 hours of cooking and let it come to room temperature before you pack it away.

 

How to make sambar?

 

Ingredients

 

For tamarind pulp

 

1 tablespoon tamarind

 

⅓ cup hot water

 

For Cooking Dal

 

½ cup tur dal or Arhar dal (pigeon pea lentils) – 100 grams

 

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)

 

1.5 to 1.75 cups water or add as required

 

For Cooking Vegetables

 

1 to 1.5 cups chopped vegetables like okra, french beans, potatoes, small round brinjals, pumpkin

 

1 to 2 drumsticks – scraped and chopped into 3 to 4 inches sticks.

 

6 to 7 pearl onions (sambar onions) or 1 small to medium onion, thickly sliced

 

1 tomato – small to medium, quartered or diced

 

¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)

 

½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder – optional

 

Salt as required

 

1.5 to 2 cups water or add as required

 

Important Ingredient

 

1 to 1.5 tablespoons Sambar Powder

 

For Tempering

 

2 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil), can also use coconut oil or sunflower oil, or ghee

 

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

 

1 to 2 dry red chilies – halved and seeds removed

 

10 to 12 curry leaves

 

2 pinch asafoetida (hing)

 

5 to 6 fenugreek seeds (methi seeds) – optional

 

1 tablespoon chopped coriander leaves (cilantro) – optional

 

Instructions

 

Making tamarind pulp

 

Dump the tamarind in hot water. Let it soak for about 20-30 minutes.

 

When the tamarind has softened, squeeze it to loosen the pulp. Strain the pulp and set it aside.

 

Cooking lentils

 

Rinse the tuvar dal under cold running water.

 

Add the dal and ¼ tsp turmeric to a 2-liter pressure cooker.

 

Then stir in 1.5 to 1.75 cups of water. Cover and pressure cook dal for 7 to 8 whistles or 9 to 10 minutes on medium heat.

 

Allow the pressure to release naturally. Then remove the lid to check the doneness of the dal. It should be soft and mushy.

 

Use a spoon or wired whisk to mash the softened dal. Set it aside.

 

Cooking vegetables

 

Rinse, peel and chop the veggies while the dal is pressure cooking.

 

Add the chopped veggies such as 6 to 7 pearl onions or 1 small to medium onion (thickly sliced) and 1 small to medium tomato (quartered) to a pot or a pan.

 

Stir in 1.5-2 cups of water.

 

Place the pan on the stovetop and heat the veggies on a medium flame.

 

Cook until the veggies are soft and tender.

 

Making sambar

 

Add the tamarind pulp and 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of sambar powder to the veggie mixture. Make sure the veggies are cooked at this point.

 

Then stir in the mashed dal.

 

Bring this mixture to a boil.

 

When the surface of the sambar gets covered with a thick foamy layer, turn off the heat.

 

Tempering

Add 2 tablespoons of gingelly oil to a tadka pan and crackle ½ tsp mustard seeds in it.

 

Then stir in 1 to 2 dry red chilies (halved and seeds removed). Immediately after the addition of red chilies, stir in 10 to 12 curry leaves, 5 to 6 methi seeds and 2 pinches of asafoetida(hing).

 

Cook until the chilies change color and curry leaves become crispy.

 

Pour the chile mixture into the hot sambar and immediately cover the pot to allow the flavors of the tempering mixture to infuse with the sambar. This will take about 4-5 minutes.

 

Serve hot sambar with a few coriander leaves or steamed rice, idli, dosa, medu vada, or uttapam.

 

Storage and leftovers

 

Refrigeration thickens the sambar. To adjust the consistency, add a splash of water to the sambar before reheating.

 

Recipe notes

 

Sambar powder point plays a huge role in determining the taste of your sambar. So, get the best-tasting sambar powder for this recipe.

 

Use a variety of veggies to experiment with the flavor and texture of sambar. Try different veggie combinations to see what turns out best.

 

Ideally, you should use fresh and preferably unpolished tuvar dal for this recipe. Fresh dal has a better taste and a short cooking time. Soak the lentils in water for 30-60 minutes to reduce the cooking time.

 

Sambar is a spicy lentil dish that goes well with rice or roti.
This recipe calls for tamarind pulp, which adds tangy flavor to the dish.
Sambar usually lasts for 3 days in the refrigerator.
How long does it stay good after opening?
Sambar is a very common Indian dish that is often served at lunch time.
It is also a great way to get kids excited about cooking.
The spice level in sambar depends on the type of masala spice mixture used.
There are two types of masalas commonly used in India: dry and wet.
Dry masalas are ground spices that are mixed together before being added to dishes.
Wet masalas are soaked in water and then dried out before they are added to food.
Most sambars contain tamarind pulp, a sour fruit that has a tangy taste.
Tamarind pulp is available in cans or jars.
If you don’t want to open a jar, you can add some fresh tamarind to the sambar instead

How long does sambar last in the fridge?

Sambar is a spicy lentil dish from India. It is usually served with rice and rotis Indian flatbread. Sambar is typically cooked in a thick gravy. It is traditionally eaten with dosas a South Indian pancake but can also be used as a side dish.

How to make sambar?

Sambar is a popular south Indian dish. It is a mixture of lentils and spices. This recipe is very easy to make. Ingredients required for making sambar are – 1 cup red lentils, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon ghee clarified butter, 1 medium sized tomato chopped, 4 green chillies slit lengthwise, 3 cloves garlic minced, 1 inch ginger grated, 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder, 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/8 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder, 1/2 teaspoon garam masala, 1 bay leaf, 1 cinnamon stick, 1 cardamom pod, 1 star anise, 1 teaspoon tamarind paste dissolved in 1 cup hot water, 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida powder, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup curd. Method: Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering add the cumin seeds. As soon as they begin to pop add the coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt. Mix well. Now add the tomatoes and saute until they turn mushy. Add the garlic and ginger. Saute till the raw smell goes away. Add the ground spice mix. Stir well. Add the water and let it come to a boil. Add the lentils and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add the coconut milk, curd, and tamarind juice. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve hot with rice and rotis.

For tamarind pulp

Tamarind pulp is used to give sourness to dishes. Tamarind pulp is available in stores. To get tamarind pulp, soak a piece of tamarind in warm water overnight. Then strain the soaked tamarind and squeeze out the liquid from it. Use this liquid to make the tamarind pulp.

For Cooking Dal

Dal is a lentil dish cooked with spices and vegetables. It is usually served with rotis Indian flatbread or rice. In India, dal is eaten during breakfast, lunch and dinner.

For Cooking Vegetables

Vegetables are used in many dishes. They are generally added to soups, stews, curries, salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza, breads, pastas, and other dishes.

Important Ingredient

Vegetables are important ingredients in our diet. They help us get essential nutrients from our food. They are low in calories but provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

For Tempering

Temper vegetables is a technique used to preserve the color and flavor of vegetables. It involves blanching vegetables in boiling water for about 2 minutes, followed by immersion in ice cold water. This process helps retain the color and texture of vegetables.

Making tamarind pulp

Tamarind pulp is a thick paste obtained from soaking tamarind pods in hot water. Tamarind is native to India and Southeast Asia. In many parts of South East Asia, tamarind is used extensively in traditional medicine.

Cooking lentils

Lentils are legumes that belong to the pea family. Lentils are available in different colors such as red, yellow, green, black, orange, brown, and gray. These lentils are usually cooked with other ingredients such as onions, garlic, tomatoes, spices, and herbs.

Cooking vegetables

Vegetables are a great source of vitamins and minerals. It is important to know how to cook vegetables properly because if they are not cooked correctly, they could become toxic. Vegetables are classified into two categories: raw and cooked. Raw vegetables are uncooked while cooked vegetables are cooked. To cook vegetables, you need to wash them thoroughly and cut them into pieces. Then, place them in a pan with enough water to cover the vegetables completely. Bring the water to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and let the vegetables simmer until tender. For baby carrots, you can leave them whole.

Making sambar

Sambar is a spicy Indian dish made from lentils, usually red kidney beans, but sometimes other types of legumes such as mung dal split yellow peas or black gram urad dal. Sambar is traditionally served with rice. In India, it is eaten with rotis Indian flatbreads, especially chapatis, paratha, puri, naan, or poori.

Tempering

Making sambar is not difficult. It takes about 30 minutes to make sambar. Ingredients required for making sambar are – 1 cup red kidney beans, 2 cups water, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon coriander powder, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 green chilli, 3 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoons ginger paste, 1 tablespoon tamarind pulp, 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1/2 teaspoon asafoetida, 1/4 teaspoon carom seeds, 1/4 teaspoon curry leaves, 1/4 teaspoon sugar, 1/4 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon garam masala, 1/4 teaspoon kalonji nigella seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoons coriander powder, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. 1. Wash the beans thoroughly under running tap water. Drain the water completely. 2. Heat the oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add the remaining ingredients except the beans. Stir well.

Storage and leftovers

Sambar is traditionally served with idli steamed rice cake. However, it is also very delicious when eaten with rotis Indian flatbreads or even chapatis Indian flatbreads. Leftover sambar can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Recipe notes

You can store leftover sambar in the refrigerator for 3 days.

How do you know if sambar has gone bad?

Sambar is a spicy Indian dish made from lentils and vegetables cooked together. It is usually served with rice. Sambar is traditionally prepared using tamarind juice which gives it its sour taste but nowadays many people prefer to use vinegar instead. This recipe uses only plain yogurt and salt. You can easily freeze sambar. Just follow these steps: 1. Wash the sambar ingredients thoroughly. 2. Boil the sambar ingredients separately. 3. Mix the cooked sambar ingredients together. 4. Freeze the mixture in individual portions. 5. Defrost the frozen sambar in the refrigerator overnight. 6. Heat the sambar in a pan until hot. 7. Serve with rice. 8. Enjoy!

Can you eat leftover Indian takeaway?

Indian cuisine is known for its rich flavors and spices. It is usually served hot but can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. However, if you store it longer than three days, it loses its flavor. So, it is better to eat it within 3 days.

How long does Indian food last in the fridge?

Yes! It depends on what type of Indian take away you had. If you had a curry, you can eat it cold. If you had a dal makhani, you can eat it hot. If you had a biryani, you can eat the leftovers cold. If you had any other dish, you can eat it warm.

Can you freeze sambhar?

Sambar is a spicy lentil dish from India. It is usually cooked with tamarind juice and spices. Sambar is usually served with rice and rotis Indian flatbread. Sometime people add vegetables to it. To check whether sambar has gone off, taste it. If it tastes sour, throw it away. If not, store it in fridge for further use.