Sambar Masala Indian Spice Mix

Written by
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about our editorial process
Petrina Verma Sarkar
Published on 08/26/19 by Petrina Verma Sarkar
Food writer Petrina Verma Sarkar is a native of India with extensive knowledge of the country's regional cuisines.
Learn about The Spruce Eats's Editorial Process

Updated 08/26/19

Dosa with Sambar
Ideowl/Flickr/CC BY 2.0
  • Total: 22 mins
  • Prep: 10 mins
  • Cook: 12 mins
  • Yield: 2 1/2 cups of spice mix
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
614 Calories
20g Fat
103g Carbs
30g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 1/2 cups of spice mix
Amount per serving
Calories 614
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 6g 29%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 537mg 23%
Total Carbohydrate 103g 37%
Dietary Fiber 53g 189%
Protein 30g
Calcium 723mg 56%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Indian cuisine includes a wide variety of regional and traditional cuisines native to India. Given the range of diversity in soil type, climate, culture, ethnic group, and occupations, these cuisines vary significantly from each other and use locally available spices, herbs, vegetables, and fruits. Indian food is also heavily influenced by religious and cultural choices and traditions. There has also been Middle Eastern and Central Asian influence on North Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine has been and is still evolving, as a result of the nation's cultural interactions with other societies.

Masala refers to any of a number of spice mixtures ground into a paste or powder for use in Indian cooking.

In South India, sambar is eaten with plain boiled rice (a staple food of Indian cuisine), idlis, vadas, dosas...well almost everything. The main ingredient in sambar is sambar masala.

Sambar masala uses cumin and coriander, two of the most important and frequently used spices and flavorings in Indian cuisine. 

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup coriander seeds
  • 1/4 cup cumin seeds
  • 1/4 cup chana daal (large split yellow lentils)
  • 1/4 cup urad daal (black gram)
  • 1/4 cup fenugreek seeds
  • 1/4 cup black peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup dry red chilli flakes
  • 1/4 cup grated dessicated coconut
  • 1/4 cup mustard seeds
  • 20 dried curry leaves
  • 2 tbsps tumeric powder
  • 2 tsps asafetida powder

Steps to Make It

  1. Roast all the ingredients – except the asafetida – on a hot griddle until they begin to release their aroma.

  2. Cool on a tray.

  3. Add the asafetida and grind into a fine powder. Store in an air-tight container.

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