Sambar

Sambar is lentils simmered thick with vegetables, tamarind and a distinct spice blend until the whole pot turns hearty enough to eat as a meal. It's South India's everyday lentil stew, poured generously over rice or used as the dip for idli and dosa, and it's built to be substantial and filling — a proper dish in its own right rather than a thin accompaniment.

What it really is

Split pigeon peas simmer down soft, then combine with vegetables — drumstick, pumpkin, carrot and okra are all common — cooked into the same pot rather than kept separate. Tamarind pulp gives the base its sour edge, and a spice blend called sambar powder, built around coriander, chilli and fenugreek, gives it a flavour distinct from any other South Indian lentil preparation. It simmers until thick enough to coat a spoon, well beyond the thinner consistency of a soup.

Sambar is thick and substantial where rasam, its close relative, is thin and drunk almost like a tonic. Both are South Indian, tamarind-based and built on lentil water, but sambar carries whole vegetables and a distinct spice blend into something closer to a stew, while rasam stays clear and peppery — mistaking one recipe for the other misses the specific role each plays in a South Indian meal.

How it's served

• Hot, poured generously over rice, or served as the dip for idli, dosa or vada.
• As a main component of a South Indian meal, not a side.
• Often alongside rasam, the two served together but never confused for each other.

How to write it on the menu

• It's naturally vegan and vegetarian.
• No major allergens are inherent to the base recipe.
• Say which vegetables are included, since the mix varies by household and season.