Monday 21 October 2019

The Origin Of Sambar Dish And Its Link To Maharashtra

Sambar is one of the most popular dishes in southern India. The dish makes its appearance in every South Indian thali and is a staple food in the states of the Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Kerala. This healthy dish is also very much loved in Sri Lanka and other parts of the world. But very few know that this famous curry originated in Maharashtra. According to the historians, the curry originated accidently in the kitchens of Marathi ruler.  Sambhaji a famous Marathi ruler who happened to be the son of Chatrapathi Shivaji tried cooking dal in the royal kitchen, in the absence of the royal chef. 



Sambar Recipe | Image Resource : shutterstock.com

The legend goes that sambhaji wanted to make his own dal, and he added tamarind to the dal. Tamarind was not an ingredient to be added to dal curry; hence the cooks in the royal kitchen tried to tell him that he made a mistake, but he ignored them as he liked the taste of the new dal curry that he made, and the dish soon came to be known as sambar. There is no hardcore evidence regarding the origin of sambar, but it is believed by the historians that Maharashtrians had contributed to the creation of sambar.

Which Recipe Is Followed Widely Today?

Although there are a lot of variations available, there is one recipe that is popularly followed. According to culinary experts, the dish made by sambhaji was less a dish and more of a soup with extra tamarind in it. It is the Thanjavur brahmin recipe that found widespread acceptance.

Variation Of Sambar

The dish varies from state to state. Not only does  the taste of sambar curry differ from state to state, but the ingredients used in sambar recipe also differ to a great extent. . In Tamil Nadu, coconut is found aplenty, and it is one of the most important ingredients used in the recipe. You will find that dry powders are used for the preparation of the dish, whereas the malayalis make use of wet pastes. Apart from that, the vegetables that are used in the dish also differ from state to state. In Kerala, the Malayalis add potatoes and carrots in the dish, and they are called English vegetables because these Vegetables became popular during the British reign. But in Tamil Nadu, you will find that the major vegetables used in the dish are radish, brinjals, and drumsticks.

It is not just Tamil Nadu and Kerala that offers a different taste of the dish, but there is a significant difference in how the dish is served in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Do not be surprised if they serve the rasam first before they serve the sambar in Karnataka because that is the norm there.

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