Slim Down With Sambar: Easy Weight Loss Recipe

Traditional South Indian Sambar served hot with vegetables and spices in a bowl.

Hi foodies!

Sambar – One of the most famous south Indian dishes is really a healthy and tasty cuisine. Making yummy sambhar can be challenging because of the steps involved but our easy instructions can help you a lot. Sambhar is a stew of a mix of vegetables and lentils, which is easily accessible and the most famous South Indian food. Sambar is highly packed with protein, is healthy, and can be stored for a long time. You can serve it with idli, rice, plain or masala dosa, mendu vada, or whatever you are in love with. So, without further ado, let’s try it out. 

Ingredients:

  • Coconut pressed oil – 2 teaspoons.
  • Cumin – 1 teaspoon
  • Sprouted fenugreek – 1 teaspoon
  • Rice – 1 teaspoon
  • Whole coriander– 1 tablespoon
  • Chickpea lentil – 1 teaspoon
  • Cloves – 2 pc
  • Cardamom – 1 pc
  • Asafoetida – ½ teaspoon
  • Garlic – 3 pc (chopped in 2 pieces each)
  • Ginger – ½ pc
  • Fresh coconut – 1 tablespoon (in pieces)
  • Curry leaves – 12-15 pcs
  • Boriya red chili – 3-4 pcs
  • Turmeric – ½ tsp (powder)
  • Kashmiri Red chili – 1 teaspoon(powder)
  • Rock salt – 2 teaspoons
  • Onion – ½ cup (in slices)
  • Water – 7 cups
  • Green chili – 1 pc (chopped)
  • Drumsticks – ½ cup (in pieces)
  • Bottle Gourd – ½ cup (in pieces)
  • Eggplants – ½ cup (in pieces)
  • Tomatoes – ½ cup (in pieces)
  • Pigeon pea – 1 cup (soaked for 2-3 hours)
  • Tamarind pulp – 2-3 tbsp
  • Jaggery – 2-3 tablespoons (crushed)
  • Mustard seeds – 1 teaspoon

Instructions:

  1. First, heat a pan and add 1 tsp coconut oil in it and 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sprouted fenugreek, 1 tsp rice, 1 tbsp Whole coriander, 1 tsp Chickpeas, two pieces Cloves, one piece Cardamom, ¼ tsp Asafoetida in it.
  2. Roast all these ingredients properly until you get a good fragrance of all the spices from them. This is our Sambhar Masala. 
  3. After this, you have to add three pieces of garlic chopped in halves, ½ piece ginger, 1 tbsp fresh coconut (in pieces), 10-12 pcs curry leaves, 3-4 pcs boriya red chili, ½ tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp rock salt, ½ cup onion (in slices).
  4.  Again roast these items properly. Let it cool, and add ¼ cup water to it.
  5. Put this mixture into a blender and make a smooth paste.
  6.  Now, heat a pressure cooker and add coconut pressed oil – 1 tsp, green chili – 1 pc (chopped), drumsticks – ½ cup (in pieces), Bottle Gourd – ½ cup (in pieces), eggplants – ½ cup (in pieces), tomatoes – ½ cup (in pieces).
  7. Add the smooth paste from the blender to the cooker and also add 1 cup of Pigeon pea and 6 cup water. Leave the lentil on high flame to cook until two whistles.
  8. Lower the flame to medium for 15 minutes to fully cook the vegetables in gravy form.
  9. Mash items well, add 2-3 tbsp Tamarind pulp and 1 tablespoon of crushed jaggery, and cook for 3-4 minutes.
  10. Heat a frying pan for seasoning and add 1 tsp coconut oil, 4-5 curry leaves, 1 tsp mustard seeds, ¼ tsp Asafoetida, and 1-2 pcs boriya red chili. Wait for the spices to crackle. 
  11. Transfer the seasoning to a pressure cooker and mix the content well.
  12. Finally, your Sambar is ready to serve with the desired item.

Benefits :

1. Fenugreek seeds

According to research, fenugreek seeds are helpful in decreasing the risk of diabetes. It improves the production of milk in lactating mothers and also aids in weight loss. Consumption of these seeds raises the level of sperm count and testosterone.

2. Bottle Gourd

Bottle gourd provides benefits to overall skin health and protects it from UV radiation. Bottle gourd also helps in providing protection against skin sagging and aging. Also, it helps in weight loss and reduces stress.

3. Drumsticks

Drumsticks are good in providing beta-carotene and vitamin C in the body and offer antioxidative effects. It helps in controlling blood sugar levels and reducing cholesterol in the body. Moreover, it also helps us to promote gut health and regulate hypertension.

4. Eggplants

 Eggplants are rich in antioxidants and offer vitamins like A and C. It protects your cells from any damage. You can have better sugar processing in case of diabetes from eggplants. Eggplants have cancer-fighting compounds. Eggplants have also been found to reduce the risk of heart disease.  

5. Chickpeas

Chickpeas keep you satiated for a longer period. They have appetite-reducing hormones that can really help in the weight loss journey. Having a low glycemic index can help in blood sugar regulation. The soluble fiber present in them increases good bacteria hence promoting a healthy gut, they can also help by supporting bowel movements. 

So, that’s how we make a yummy sambhar curry, try it out yourself and get amazed by the taste it imparts. 

Check out more low calorie recipes here:

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