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Araichu Vitta Sambar

by 54 Comments

Arachu Vitta Radish Sambar

This recipe was requested by some of my daughter’s friends who have tasted this sambar. But it got delayed as I was not satisfied with the photos and I did not have the time to click again. Some how I managed to find time during my hectic morning hours to take a few snaps. From my younger days, I have tasted this sambar as my mother used to prepare this often. This sambar is very tasty, easy to prepare and does not require sambar powder. This is a very traditional South Indian Sambar. Today we will learn how to prepare Arachuvitta sambar following this easy recipe.

Arachuvitta Sambar

How to make Arachu Vitta Sambar


Arachu Vitta Sambar

 Prep Time : 15 mins

 Cook Time : 20 mins 
 Serves: 4
 Recipe Category: Sambar-Side Dish
 Recipe Cuisine: South Indian-Tamil Brahmin
 Author:

   Ingredients needed

   Tur dal – 1/3 measuring cup or 4 ½ tbsp
   Tamarind – small gooseberry sized ball
   Onion – 1 (optional)
   Radish (any variety)- 2-3
   Salt needed

   Fry and grind

   Coriander seeds (malli vithai) – 1 tbsp flat
   Bengal gram dal (channa dal/kadalai paruppu) – 1 ½ tsp
   Red chillies – 3-4
   Grated coconut -2 tbsp
   Raw rice -1/4 tsp

   For the seasoning

   Oil – 2 tsp
   Mustard seeds– ¼ tsp
   Fenugreek seeds (vendhayam) – ¼ tsp
   Asafoetida/hing – a pinch
   Curry leaves – 2 sprigs

   For garnishing

   Coriander Leaves -2 tbsp finely chopped

Preparations

how to prepare arachu vitta sambar

Soak tamarind in hot water for 15 minutes and extract its juice. Discard the pulp.

Soak toor dal in 1 cup of water for 15 minutes.(Soaking helps the tur dal to get cooked well and also saves time and fuel.) Pressure cook tur dal for 3 whistles or until soft. Mash tur dal well and keep it aside.

Heat a tsp of oil and fry coriander seeds, bengal gram dal, red chillies and raw rice. Fry on medium heat until dal turns golden brown. Add grated coconut in the end.  After adding coconut, switch off the flame. Saute the coconut in the heat of the pan itself. Leave it to cool and then grind it to a smooth paste. This is the arachu vitta sambar masala.

Wash radish, peel the skin and cut it into round shapes. Cook radish also along with tur dal keeping it in a small vessel along with dal as shown in the picture above.

Method


Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan or kadai, add mustard, when it splutters, add fenugreek, hing and curry leaves.

Add chopped onions (if using) and sauté for a few minutes. Since I have used radish I pressure cooked along with tur dal. In case, if you are using vegetables like ladies finger, brinjal, pumpkin, drumsticks, you have to sauté it in oil along with onions.

Then add 1 1/2 cups (approximately) of tamarind extract, turmeric powder, salt and boil until the raw flavor of the tamarind goes.

Then add the ground paste (arachu vitta sambar masala), cooked dal, cooked radish along with a cup of water and boil for a few minutes on medium flame. The sambar should neither be too thick nor too watery, so adjust the consistency of the sambar accordingly.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or idli or dosa or ven pongal.

Note -Some of the vegetables used for preparing sambar – brinjal, chow chow, turnip, ladies finger, drumstick, capsicum, carrot, potato, pearl onion and even mixed veggies like carrot, beans, potato. Check out my Mixed Vegetable Sambar

Greens like drumstick leaves, ponnaganni leaves, vendhaya keerai can also be used to prepare sambar. Check out vendhaya keerai sambar.

Seeds like butter beans, soya, mochai, double beans can also be used for preparing sambar. If using dried ones, soak it for 6-7 hours and pressure cook with salt needed.

Find more Sambar Recipes

Radish Arachuvitta sambarArachu vitta radish sambar, plantain flower usili and siru keerai stir fry

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  9. Kanchan

    Nice space here !
    Loved how to cook rice in pressure cooker 😀 , hope u were there 3 years back when I was alone in US and really had to ask these questions to my mom 🙁

    Reply

  23. GB

    This sambar is associated with a lot of childhood memories. Thanks for the recipe. I make it atleast once in a week now.

    Reply

  32. KRISHNAN NARASIMHAN

    Thanks Padhu. My wife makes this dish so well. But she has gone overseas and I am trying out some of your recipes. Our 11 year old son seems to enjoy it. Saves me a lot of time and effort as well.

    Reply

  33. KRISHNAN NARASIMHAN

    My wife cooks very well and I enjoy her Arachuvitta sambar. Now she has gone abroad (to India for a break) and I am using some of your quick cook recipes. Today being Sunday, I am trying our this. thanks

    Reply

  35. JK

    Don't know why my grinding part became dark because of which complete Sambar turned out to be black. Looks like inappropriate ratio of ingredient caused blackening.

    Before trying Radish Sambar this way I cooked it way Steps mentioned for Murungakkai Sambar and it turned out to be very nice. But Grinding part blackened my Sambar.

    Reply

    • Padhu Sankar

      JK – the ratio mentioned is correct as I prepare this sambar frequently. I assume that you have over fried the ingredients which might be the reason. There is hardly anything for the sambar to turn black.

      Reply

  42. Vasudevan

    Hello Madam, I am a TamBrahm living in Tokyo away from my wife & family. I chanced upon your site some months back, and since then your recipes have been my live saver. Your instructions are so simple, even a child (or a 40+ forced bachelor like me) can follow it. Example, you've even explained how to cook tuar dal and mullangi in the same vessel 🙂 🙂 May God bless you and your family. By the way, following your recipe, the araichuvitta sambar came out very nice 🙂

    Reply

  46. Mary

    it is an easy recipe. I need a clarification. Why you have suggested raddish in this sambar? It generally has a pungent taste. Will it tastes better with some other vegetable?

    Reply

    • Padhu Sankar

      You can make this sambar with any vegetables or even mixed vegetables (mix of carrot, beans, potato, brinjal, broad beans). The method to follow is the same. Radish arachu vitta sambar tastes good and does not have a pungent taste.

      Reply

  47. shankaran arun

    In many of the traditional iyer homes sambhar means one and only "Arachu vitta Sambhar". Preparing it in the traditional style is an art. The mixing of tamarind, vegetables and the grinded paste (the ingredients for grinding should be carefully roasted and at the right proportion and grinded not too much nice (it should be a little coarse). Sundays never get over without "Arachuvitta Sambhar" with potatoes fried and appalam (preverably pappadam) in iyer homes in Tamil nadu.

    Reply

  49. Maya RAMESH

    Hi padhu, Thank you so much for your authentic tamil recipes. My family moved out of the deep south two generations ago (with jobs in the Indian Railways etc) and adapted to north indian cuisine. I love the taste of authentic south indian recipes and am able to make it for my family here in the USA with help your wonderful website. Lots of love and keep going with the wonderful work!

    Reply

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