The Sambar Story - Taste Evolving From History

By Meera

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Image Credits : Harini Karthikayan

The Tangy Spicy Sambar Hails From The Sangam Period Of Tamilakam

Those childhood memories! The hot aroma of spicy Sambar wafting from the kitchen to the courtyard still tingles in my memory as if it was yesterday. The memory of my summer holidays in Nanjangud [on the banks of River Kapila in Mysore] rushes in with great nostalgia when my great grandmother used to prepare Hulli [another version of Sambar] with all dedication and interest despite her age and bent back.

The delicious Sambar

Her wizened old face with a wide toothed smile beckoning us for lunch and all of us enjoying the tasty and spicy palak sambar sitting in the long dining hall – can never be forgotten. Her Sambars were so tasty and lip smacking that one did not need any embellishments like pappad or chips. Every day in the morning, she lovingly prepared freshly grounded masala for the Sambar depending on the type of vegetables used on that day.

The masala for grinding

Jumping from my granny days to now – what I see around in many households – most people either make the masala once a month or buy the Sambar masala from a condiment shop. It is only on festival days or on special occasions that Sambars are prepared elaborately and freshly grounded spices are used with grated coconut and lot of curry and coriander leaves. However, the preparation of Sambar varies from region to region and landscape to landscape but the main ingredients of toor dal and vegetables and tamarind is the same while the permutation and combination of spices changes a lot.

Since ancient times, Sambar has been a wholesome and nutritious meal combined with either rice or millets. Now how to make Europeans or Americans or Africans understand what is this Sambar? It is nothing but a lentil based vegetable stew or chowder that is made with tamarind and fresh or stored grounded pulses, red chilly, cumin, coriander seeds, fenugreek, black pepper and other spices and finally, tempered with mustard and asafoetida.

Assortment of vegetables for the
making of a healthy dish.

Now how and where did it originate is still a mystery ? Many say that this dish has evolved in the past 5000 years and has undergone various experimentation for it to evolve as a highly nutritious food to be eaten twice a day with cereals. There are references to it in the literary works of the Sangam Period that flourished 4440 years ago in Tamilnadu, Kerala and parts of Sri Lanka [known as Tamilakam] from 6th century BCE to 2nd century CE.

The ancient books written in the second Sangam Period that has survived is 3700 years old, describes and gives a deep insight into the culture and lifestyle of people in this region.  In fact, paddy was a significant crop and was the staple cereal in TN and Kerala and also used as a barter for other materials in inland trade.

Tempering of spices

Although the origin of Sambar can be found here but neither the recipes nor the ingredients used has been written properly. It is from poetry and ancient songs that one gets an idea of a concoction similar to Sambar that was called as ‘Madhura Kalavai’ in those bygone days. This was made with ingredients that were available locally as also dependent on the landscape. The ancient Sambar was made with moong dal along with vegetables like beans and tamarind and finally cooked with fresh masalas that included black pepper.

However, this original recipe has undergone variations umpteen times when we move from the  ancient Sangam period to the 17th century. As people traded with other states and then with other countries – the Sambar too changed with the availability of toor dal, red chilly, onions and tomatoes. So to understand how they made the  Madhura Kalavai in the Sangam Period - they used moong while the main spice was pepper and to give a sweet-sour taste, it was garnished with tamarind and jaggery.

Spices for Sambar

The use of red chilly in Sambar started only after the British brought it from South America in 17th century and introduced it in various parts of the country. There after, it gradually became a major ingredient for making masalas for every kind of south and north Indian dishes.

One finds a recent reference of Sambar during Chatrapathi Shivaji Maharaj’s time. The name Sambar is said to have derived and named after Shivaji’s son Sambaji. This tale goes back to the days when Thanjavur based in Tamilnadu was ruled by the Marathas. And so the Madhura Kalavai underwent a change by usage of toor dal as the main ingredient.  The sambar it is believed evolved further during the days of Shahuji’s rule of Thanjavur.

As per tales emanating from those days, one day Shahuji who loved cooking experimented with ‘Amti’ [a traditional Maharastrian dish] for the benefit of his guest Sambaji. And it is believed that he added toor dal instead of moong dal while tamarind and jaggery instead of kokum juice. After eating the tasty concoction, the Thanjavur courtiers named it as Sambar, it is said.

Now whether Sambar is originally from the days of the ancient Sangam Period or the Maratha Period – now who is really bothered? It is one of the healthiest and tastiest dishes evolved and improved from time to time by experimenting and adding newer and newer ingredients. So whether it is the ancient or medieval or modern Sambar – it continues to be a staple diet of many in India, Sri Lanka and even in South East Asia but tweaked with Thai or Khmer spices and herbs.