Arachuvitta Sambar | Tamil Brahmin Recipes

March 24, 2025 | By
arachuvitta sambar recipe

Last weekend I was searching for Tamil brahmins recipes in some blogs and websites, I found arachuvitta sambar and urulaikilangu curry ( potato curry) as the simple sunday lunch menu mentioned by many of them. So I prepared the same at home for our lunch. 

Actually my MOM & MIL makes a similar kind of sambar for idli. Keeping that recipe in my mind0, I prepared this araichuvitta sambar for lunch. One of my brahmin friends (Tamil Iyer) told me about this recipe long back which I noted down in my diary. Basically this Arachuviita sambar is prepared by adding a paste of freshly roasted spices with coconut to the cooked toor dal and tamarind sauce. Sambar powder is not needed for this recipe.

By referring that recipe and the other recipes which I came across, I prepared this sambar recipe for our lunch. It was too good, fresh and flavourful. We loved it a lot. My friend told this sambar is usually made with small onions which they call as chinna vengaya arachuvitta sambar. I used drumstick and sambar onions. Do try this version for your sunday lunch & let me know friends !

arachuvitta sambar brahmin style recipe
arachuvitta sambar recipe

ARACHUVITTA SAMBAR | TAMIL BRAHMIN RECIPES

Chitra
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Ingredients
  

  • Tamarind – Big gooseberry size
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
  • Salt & water – as needed
  • 1 Drumstick chopped length wise of pointer finger size

To pressure cook:

  • ⅓ cup Toor dal
  • ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
  • Cooking Oil – a drop
  • ¼ tsp Hing / Asafetida
  • Water – As needed

To roast & grind:

  • 2 tsp Cooking oil
  • ⅛ tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 1 tbsp Dhania / coriander seeds
  • ½ tbsp Chana dal
  • ¼ tsp Pepper corns
  • 1 tsp Urad dal
  • 5 Red chillies adjust as per your taste.
  • ¼ tsp Raw Rice
  • ¼ tsp Hing / Asafetida
  • 2 tbsp Grated coconut

To saute:

  • 2 tbsp Cooking oil
  • ½ cup Small onion / sambar onion / shallot 10 to 15
  • 1 Tomato optional ( I din’t use)
  • Curry leaves – a few
  • ½ tsp Sambar powder optional, its not used in Brahmin style

To temper:

  • 1 tsp Ghee
  • 1 tsp Mustard seeds
  • ½ tsp Jeera / cumin seeds
  • 2 Red chillies pinched into two
  • Curry leaves few

To garnish:

  • Coriander leaves – few chopped finely.

Instructions
 

  • Pressure cook toor dal adding turmeric powder, hing and a drop of oil.
  • In a kadai, add 2 tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients given under “ to roast and grind” in the same order. Make sure nothing gets burnt. Roast under medium flame till nice aroma rises.
  • Add grated coconut at the end, mix well and switch off the flame. It will get roasted in that heat itself. Grind to a paste in a mixie. Set aside.
  • In a wide mouthed kadai, heat oil, saute the small onions, curry leaves. Onions should be sauteed very well with a nice aroma. ( you can also add a tomato & saute with onion if you like)
  • After it is sautéed, add the drumstick pieces, turmeric powder & salt. Add some raw curry leaves & a pinch of hing when it boils.
  • Cover & cook till the drumstick is done. Add the tamarind extract and boil for few minutes till raw smell goes away.
  • Now open the pressure cooked dal and mash it well. It should be well mashed. After adding the dal, add the freshly ground paste. Mix well without forming lumps. Let it boil for few minutes. Sambar thickens. So add more water if necessary. Check for salt.
  • Switch off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
  • Last but not the least, temper all the ingredients given under “ to temper” in ghee & add to sambar. Cover it with a lid to retain the aroma. Serve after 15 – 30 mins.
  • Enjoy with rice, potato curry and papad !!

Notes

You can use vegetables like chow chow, radish, brinjal, potato, carrot, beans, turnip to make this sambar.
You can also make it with small onions alone which is known as Vengaya arachuvitta sambar.
Some people add 2 small onions while sauting the masala. But I din’t use it.
Please check this link for Brahmin style potato curry recipe.
  • Chopped tomato can be used along with onions. Saute it till its mushy and then add tamarind extract.
  • Instead of adding the spices along with dal, you can saute the ground spices before adding tamarind extract which gives additional flavour.
  • Adjust the red chillies according to your taste.
  • Dal should be mashed well.
  • U can also use vegetables like carrots, potatoes, chow chow, brinjal along with drumstick.
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Try this Tamil Brahmin style Arachuvitta sambar recipe. You will love it !

arachuvitta sambar with coconut in Tamil brahmin style

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29 thoughts on “Arachuvitta Sambar | Tamil Brahmin Recipes”

  23. dewdrops

    Chitra, tried your arachivita sambar. I reduced vendhayam quantity to avoid bitterness. I added one tomato. It's better to add tomato and reduce tamarind quantity for health reasons ( my opinion). I thaalichufied at the beginning instead of doing separately. This is always better. One suggestion if you add tamarind after cooking the veggies it will help in faster cooking of them. The taste was very nice. Thank you.

    Reply
    1. Chitra

      Thanks a lot for trying and the suggestions.I will try adding tomato.As u said,adding tamarind after the veggies gets cooked is a nice tip. Thank u :)

      Reply
  24. Unknown

    Hi as it is arachu vitha sambar avoid sambar powder. And make paste of all the roasted ingridients instead of making a powder. While roasting add urad dal and 2 small onions and avoid rice.

    Reply
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