Would you believe that I purchased my first bag of curry leaves yesterday? It’s true! I was fortunate enough to spend two full days this week cooking, baking, and eating with the ever-so-wonderful Kittee (and her dog, Vee). We had a fabulous time whipping up brownies, pumpkin pretzels, ginger-fig jam, kale chips, and… sambar! I had no clue what sambar was when Kittee suggested we make it for our lunch/dinner yesterday. Do you know what sambar is? Sambar is a vegetable soup made with tamarind, toor dal, sambar powder (which has curry leaves), and obviously, vegetables. It is very popular in the southern regions of India and tastes incredible (if Kittee makes it for you!). Kittee did most of the work, I chopped an onion.
Making sambar powder requires toasting lots of wonderful spices.
Don’t worry! It’s not a real chicken.
Toasted spices ground up nicely and made into an aromatic powder.
Sambar, with a gluten-free pumpkin pretzel on the side. Yeah, that’s right, Kittee and I know how to eat. Check out her post featuring the same meal and some awesome photos.
I’m not sure what I will do with my curry leaves. The nice man at the store told me I could keep them in my freezer. I put them there last night and this morning our refrigerator/freezer stopped working! Bad curry leaves! Good sambar.
oh no! you can put whatever you want into my fridge until yours gets better!
and jinx!
xo
kittee
Awww… Thanks Kittee! We bought some ice and hope that the maintenance man will come tomorrow to fix it. If not, I might take you up on your offer.
I went out for Indian food last night and had a cup of sambar. It’s definitely one of my favorite soups, but I’ve never tried to make it myself. How do you make the sambar powder?
You can find recipes online for making sambar powder. We used a recipe from one of Kittee’s cookbooks. Essentially, you toast stuff like coriander, cumin, coconut, poppy seeds, fenugreek, and chilies and then grind it up. The recipes will vary, but if you do a search for sambar powder, you should find one to suit your fancy!
I love curry leaves! I wish they were easier to find.
Haha! That fake chick is hilarious! :)
awesome post! awesome fake chicken! awesome kittee! awesome you! Sambar is the best, and so are curry leaves.
I discovered a few months ago that my next door neighbour has a curry plant growing in their garden and I can help myself to the leaves whenever I want! That was an awesome day and filled me with no end of excitement. That sambar looks delicious and your photos are so pretty. I love the chook.
:)
Lucky!!
sadface on your fridge & freezer not working, but superhappyface for another rock’n kitchen date with kittee and lots of delicious sambar and fun with curry leaves! yay! i’ve never heard of sambar before – and now i must do some investigation and make my own to enjoy with dan. yummmmm!
I didn’t know what sambar was until reading this, but I’d probably like it. I have never been able to find curry leaves where I live. I’m guessing you got them from some kind of Asian market?
Kiersten – We found ours at an Indian market.
Mmm nice!!
I love sambar! I almost never make it though – why is that? I don’t now either.
I’m jealous of your curry leaves.
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That looks delicious! I have a curry plant, you’ve inspired me to start using its leaves for cooking :)