The words, ‘radish sambar’ may cause some people to turn their heads up in confusion – radish seems like a rather peculiar choice for a sambar at first. But radish is actually a pretty great choice to use as a basis for sambar. The radish has a wonderful crunchy factor that is even present inside a warm stew like sambar. It is a great option if you love sambar but want to try something a little different.
Health Benefits
Radishes are a popular root crop that absolutely cannot be underestimated when it comes to eating healthy. Their pungent taste aside, radishes are worth every single bite. Radishes play a key role in relieving jaundice, the yellow discoloration of the skin caused by liver failure. It does this by removing bilirubin and regulating their production. They also prevent the destruction of red blood cells, another symptom of jaundice, by increasing the supply of fresh oxygen to the blood.
Ingredients
1 ½ cup radish
1 onion – cubed
a few curry leaves
¼ tsp turmeric
1 cup water
½ cup tamarind extract
1 small piece jaggery
1 tsp salt
¾ cup toor dal – cooked
2 tsp oil
2 tsp coriander seeds
¾ tsp cumin
1 tsp urad dal
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
4 whole dried Kashmiri red chilli
½ cup coconut – grated
½ cup water
2 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard / rai
a few curry leaves
How To Make Radish Sambar
- Place 1 ½ cups radish and 1 onion in a kadai.
- Add curry leaves turmeric and 1 cup water.
- Mix well.
- Cover and boil for 5 minutes or until the radish is halfway cooked.
- Add ½ cup tamarind extract, small piece jaggery, and 1 tsp salt.
- Mix well.
- Boil for 5 more minutes or till radish gets cooked well.
- Add ¾ cup toor dal and prepared masala paste.
- Mix well.
- Note: Adjust consistency as required.
- Boil for 5 minutes or until the raw smell of coconut disappears.
- Pour the tempering over sambar and mix well.
Trivia
Radishes were first cultivated in China.