Tirunelveli Idli Sambar Recipe – Nellai Style Tiffin Sambar For Idli

Tiffin sambar recipe Tirunelveli style

I learnt this Tirunelveli style idli sambar from my mom. Most of us make idli sambar with toor dal. But my mom makes sambar by combining moong dal and toor dal and with freshly roasted and ground Nellai style idli sambar powder ( my mom calls this as mel podi in Tamil). Last week I prepared this as a side dish for idli. My husband liked it so much. Many thanks to my mom. .Lets see how to make Tirunelveli style Idli sambar with toor dal and moong dal.

I have also shared my mom’s moong dal sambar for idli – easy, no grind version , check it 🙂

If you are looking for Tirunelveli sambar for rice, do check this link .

Tirunelveli Idli sambar recipe 

Idli Sambar recipe

Idli Ssmbar recipe How to make idli sambar using toor dal, moong dal adding vegetables in Tirunelveli style

Cuisine: South Indian
Category: Sambar
Serves: Serves 4
Prep time: 10 Minutes
Cook time: 20 Minutes
Total time: 30 Minutes

INGREDIENTS

To Pressure cook – 1 cup =250ml
Ingredients:

  • Moong dal – 1/8 cup 
  • Toor dal – 1/8 cup
  • Tamarind – Small gooseberry size
  • Tomato – 1 no
  • Carrot – 1-2 nos (use 2 nos if very small)
  • Potato – 1-2 nos(-do-)
  • Besan flour/ Kadalai maavu – 1 tsp
  • Salt & Water – As required

To Roast and Grind:

  • Cooking Oil – 1/2 tsp
  • Dry coriander seeds/dhania – 1.5 tsp
  • Chana dal – 2 tsp
  • Fenugreek seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Red chillies – 3 nos

To temper

  • Cooking Oil – 2 tsp
  • Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
  • Urad dal –1/2 tsp
  • Curry leaf – 1 sprig
  • Asafetida/Hing – a pinch
  • Red chilly – 1 no
  • Green chilly – 1 to 3 nos(depends on your taste)
  • Small / Pearl onions – 10 nos(Peeled)
  • Coriander leaves – To garnish
METHOD

  • To make Tirunelveli style idli sambar powder : Roast all the items given under “To roast and grind” adding 1/2 tsp of oil till nice aroma arises. Make a smooth powder by grinding it. Use this powder to make sambar. Just add 2 tsp of this powder at the end. This gives the flavor. Keep this powder ready before doing this sambar. You can store this powder and use later. 
Tirunelveli Idli sambar recipe
  • Cube cut the vegetables .Chop the tomato into pieces.Soak the tamarind in water.
  • Pressure cook moong and toor dal  by adding water,turmeric powder and a drop of oil. In a small box, keep the chopped vegetables and cook with dal. Cook for 1-2 whistles depending on your cooker.
  • [Normally what I do is , I keep the dal in the cooker base and keep the veggies in a closed tiffin box that suits my cooker so that the veggies will be separate and will not be mashed with the dal .I mash the dal alone with a ladle. I followed the same for this sambar too!! ]
  • If you don’t want to follow this,cook the veggies and dal separately. Extract the juice from soaked tamarind. Keep aside.
  • Now heat a kadai with 1 tbsp of oil and add mustard seeds. Let it pop. Then add urad dal, pinched red chilly and curry leaves. Add onion, green chillies, tomato pieces and saute until tomato turns mushy.
  • Now add the tamarind juice, cooked dal and boiled veggies along with onions, tomato & green chillies. Add a pinch of hing.

Tirunelveli style idli sambar

  • Add the required salt and water. Let it boil for sometime. Now add 2 tsp of freshly ground powder and boil for 2 mins. Lastly add the diluted besan flour and boil for few minutes.
Tirunelveli style idli sambar
  • Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with idly by adding sesame/gingely oil. Enjoy !

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22 thoughts on “Tirunelveli Idli Sambar Recipe – Nellai Style Tiffin Sambar For Idli”

  1. Raks

    The first picture of the sambhar is eye catchy!
    I make the same except i use moong dal alone:)
    Will try adding thoor dal some time!

    Reply
  7. Myvegfare

    hi, idli,vada sambhar ruchiyagi maado butler naane title holder ee nadige naane super :)) just like that ur idli & sambhar is looking so delicious….making me hungry at half 11 O'clock in the night…that is the time i get 2 sit 2 look at & post recipes!!, never tried with moong dal, must give it a try…

    Reply
  10. Chitra

    Thank so much u raji:)
    Thanku very much adlak:)
    Thanks dershana.do try this and lemme know:)
    Thanku so much manima,sagari and cham for ur lovable comments:)
    Thanku jayasri,can understand ur quotes in kannada.Not able to reply properly:)
    Thanks a lot pooja and n33ma:)

    Reply
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