Easy method using the OPOS techniques of layering and flash cooking
Coimbatore is one of my favorite cities. I love the people of Coimbatore, who are known for their enterprising nature and the respect they show to their fellow people. During my visits to Coimbatore, its almost imperative for me to pay breakfast respects at Hotel Annapoorna. Their hot ghee dosas dunked in their special sambar is good enough reason for a foodie like me to visit this quaint city often !
When my dear friend Suguna aka Kannamma , posted the recipe of Annapoorna tiffin sambar, hundreds and thousands of people validated it with rave reviews ! I tried the recipe using the core OPOS (One Pot One Shot) techniques of layering and flash cooking. I was amazed at the result and plan on taking full advantage of this yummy sambar to bowl over people during dinners and lunches !
First, what is flash cooking and layering? The OPOS cookbook describes,
Flash cooking as no or minimum water cooking at high heat for a short time
Layering as arranging ingredients layer by layer inside a cooker
By using minimum water and cooking at high heat, we are able to retain the color and flavors of the ingredients beautifully. Technically, “grinding” does not qualify as OPOS, but this recipe involves making (grinding) a sambar masala. I could have used a bunch of dry masalas and pastes as substitutes, but chose not to do that to do full justice to the original recipe. Also, freshly ground masalas have their own charm. Therefore, this recipe loses the tag of OPOS 🙂 You lose some to gain some ! Here are the steps to making the sambar,
We will need cooked tur dal for this recipe.
Pre-cooked dal is a staple in most of the OPOSers refregirators. I swear, I did not invent this word “OPOSers” on the fly, there are a few hundred people who OPOS their meals everyday. Its a great idea to cook dal in bulk and store it in the refrigerator to make dals, sambars and rasam in a jiffy. Dals store well in fridge at least for 7-10 days. If you don’t have pre-cooked dal, cook 1/2 cup of tur dal in 2 cups of water with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and set aside.
Next we will go on to making the sambar masala. For this, heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a kadai or pan and add, 2 teaspoon coriander seeds, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 5 black pepper corn, 5 fenugreek seeds, 2 tablespoon chana dal, 1 tablespoon urad dal and roast till the dals turn golden brown. Make sure to saute in a low flame to avoid burning. Now, add 4 dry red chilies and saute for a min. Switch off the flame and add the following – ¼ teaspoon asafoetida, 3 tablespoon coconut pieces/scrappings, 2 teaspoons jaggery and gooseberry size tamarind and saute in the retained heat for a minute. Cool the ingredients and grind it into a slightly coarse paste.
Next, wash and chop the following vegetables – 2 drumsticks, 10 shallots, 1 Onion and 1 tomato.
Now, let us start layering,
Layer 1 – In a 2 liter Pressure cooker, add 3 teaspoons each of oil and water. Add the chopped vegetables.
Layer 2 – Add the cooked dal over the vegetables,
Layer 3 – Add the ground sambar masala paste on top of the dal,
Add 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook on a high flame in a gas stove or at 1200 w in an induction stove for exactly 2 whistles. This should take you approximately 5 – 6 minutes. Even if you don’t get the whistles switch off the stove after the 6th minute. Release the pressure manually and open the pressure cooker.
On opening, the sambar will look somewhat like this… Don’t lose heart ! Proceed…
Now mix in the sambar well. At this stage you can chose to add 1/2 cup water to liquidize the sambar a bit. I did it as I found it to be a bit thick for my taste. This is totally optional.
Kannamma recommends the following tadka for this sambar – Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai, add 1/2 teaspoon of mustard seeds, 2 sprig of curry leaves and switch off. Add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. Pour this over the sambar as tadka. Also, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of ghee. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro.
And finally,
- 1 teaspoon of Oil
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds of
- 2 sprigs curry leaves
- 1.5 teaspoons chili powder of
- Take a 2 liter pressure cooker/pan. As the first layer, add 3 teaspoons each of oil and water. Add all the chopped vegetables.
- Cook 1/2 cup dal with 2 cups of water with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder. As the second layer, add the cooked dal on top of the vegetables.
- Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a kadai or pan and add, 2 teaspoon coriander seeds, xbd teaspoon cumin seeds, 5 black pepper corn, 5 fenugreek seeds, 2 tablespoon chana dal, 1 tablespoon urad dal and roast till the dals turn golden brown. Now, add 4 dry red chillies and saute for a min. Switch off the flame and add xbc teaspoon Asafoetida, 3 tablespoon coconut pieces/scrappings, 2 teaspoons jaggery and gooseberry size tamarind and saute in the retained heat for a minute. Cool the ingredients and grind it into a slightly coarse paste. Add this sambar masala paste as the third layer on top of the cooked dal. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook on high flame in a gas stove or 1200 w in an induction stove for exactly 2 whistles. Release pressure manually. Mix well. At this stage you can chose to add 1/2 cup water to liquidize the sambar a bit.
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a kadai, add 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, 2 sprig of curry leaves and switch off. Add 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder. Pour this over the sambar as tadka. Add 1/2 teaspoon of ghee. Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve.
Perfect match of colour and consistency. I’ve swum in Annopoorna sambar while in college.
I can’t get enough of this Sambar too, RK !
Love it. Ur instructions are so clear.
Thank u as always Anand !
Thanks Vatsala !! Do try the recipe and let me know if you liked it 🙂
Thank you for the Ghama Ghama Sambar.Next enna? Krishnaiyer Bhadham Halwa?
Thanks Geetha !! Haha hopefully something exciting
Such lovely photographs.
Thanks much VC 🙂
Lakalakalicious SPM 🙂
So glad to hear your family enjoyed it , PV !
This came out very nicely for me too.
Wonderful write up and photos! Can’t wait to try this myself.
Glad to hear that VC !
Thanks much Hema 🙂
Hey Prasanna, First of all Congratulations for this wonderful blog !!! I have always been a great fan for one pot dishes mostly rice/pulao etc. Now I am loving that curries/gravies are made using OPOS which makes the whole process so much simpler. Tried this sambhar and it turned out to be awesome. Wonderful clicks and love the way you write. Looking forward for more such yummy OPOS dishes 🙂
Hi Sugandhi ! thank you for stopping by and your lovely words of encouragement …Happy to hear you tried out the recipe and liked it 🙂 Keep coming back for more…
So did anyone notice that this look similar to Kannacook’s post, where she took posted the original recipe along with the cook himself ? I dont know you can cook a recipe on your own.
http://www.kannammacooks.com/annapoorna-hotel-sambar/
Sheshan – please verify facts before commenting. The annapoorna sambar recipe was reproduced with permission from Suguna Vinodh , author of Kannamma cooks. If you read my post, i have given credits and she is aware and has acknowledged the post.
Wow Sheshan Kutty – thanks for keeping us safe! 🙂
Well, i love cooking. I like kannamma cooks, mainly because she is very technical. She knows what she is talking about, from Aroma’s to the taste that might tingle your tongue or both. What i all care here is give some credit to those authors, that would be motivational than anything. Look at this page. I will have to really comb through to figure who the original author is. Do you think i can’t copy and start a blog post ? That is why i feel sad for these kinds.
Sheshan Kutty,
The second paragraph starts with “When my dear friend Suguna aka Kannamma , posted the recipe of Annapoorna tiffin sambar, hundreds and thousands of people validated it with rave reviews ! I tried the recipe using the core OPOS (One Pot One Shot) techniques of layering and flash cooking”
You need to really work on your combing technique :). And your reading technique too – suggest you read the post to understand what is being said !
Sheshan — the due credit has been given wherever required. Like I mentioned in my FB page too, Suguna is very much in the know. She has even left a comment in support in the FB page.
Sheshan — guess what ? I love cooking and kannamma cooks as well ! I am happy to note my friend Suguna aka Kannamma has garnered this sort of readers. You make two good points a. copy pasting b. You like kannamma cooks because she is technical — so, my point here is, if I had to just copy paste, why bother starting another blog no ? So the idea is NOT to copy paste. I have used the One pot One shot technique of flash cooking and layering and recreated Kannamma’s recipe here. As a person who likes the “technique”, I urge you to go through the page where I talk about what is OPOS.
Thank you @Chef Rama Krishnan for the support
If I am using Sambhar powder made acc to your blog recipe, how much spoon should I use? Please guide
please try and use freshly ground spices for best results.
Dear visited,
I was visit Coimbatore in 2000.
And all 7days my food at Annapoorna.
I divorced in 2000.
I make 500 times this Annapoorna sambar and all other south Indian food .I’m totally failed in attempts.
Thank-you Annapoorna for your food café and your food .
I will visit this time Coimbatore last week of December.
For only your food .
Love this recipe, have tried it few times and it never failed. I was just curious though, do you use all off the masala for this recipe or just half of it ? I get a small mixie full, i typically use half of it and make two batches . I referred the recipe to someone and that’s when I got asked this question. So can you please clarify if the original recipe calls for using all of the paste or jus part of it ?
this recipe measurement to use all of the mixture.
Hi,
I already have pre-cooked Toor dal. Should i use 1/2 cup or 1 cup? Please clarify. Thanks, B.
2-2.5 cups
So if you were using sambar masala and other masala powders purchased from store rather than making your own, what would be the quantities required? Hope you see this…TIA
Anup – I highly recommend grinding this sambar masala for best results.