Vegetarian Lunch Ideas -- The Sunday Sambar That Carries Our Week

The summer routine forming: Anaya at day camp (art and writing focused — she chose it), Rohan at Montessori full-day, me splitting between clinic and Rutgers prep (fall teaching starts in September). The logistical ballet of working motherhood with two kids and an aging parent and a mother in memory care. Arvind's business is growing — six employees now, covering residential and small commercial HVAC across central New Jersey. Dina went back to work part-time as a physical therapist. Asha, two, goes to the same Montessori as Rohan. The cousins are in the same building, which Amma would love if she could process the information. I made a big pot of sambar on Sunday — enough for the week, portioned into family dinners and Amma containers. The Sunday sambar as production line. Efficiency meeting love.

The sambar I made this Sunday wasn’t fancy—it was purposeful. Toor dal, tamarind, drumstick, tomatoes, and a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves: the same pot I’ve been making since I watched Amma make it, now divided into containers for school lunches, quick weeknight dinners, and the small labeled tubs I bring to her memory care unit because familiar flavors are one of the things that still reach her. This is the recipe that makes a hard week manageable.

Vegetarian Lunch Ideas: Big-Batch Sunday Sambar

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup toor dal (split pigeon peas), rinsed
• 3 cups water (for cooking dal)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, divided
• 1 tablespoon tamarind paste (or 1 small lime-sized ball of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup warm water, strained)
• 2 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 cup drumstick (moringa) pieces, or substitute cubed zucchini or eggplant
• 1/2 cup frozen pearl onions or shallots, optional
• 2 tablespoons sambar powder
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar
• 3 to 4 cups water (to adjust consistency)
• For tempering (tadka):
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil or ghee
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
• 2 dried red chilies
• 10 to 12 fresh curry leaves
• 2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

1. Cook the dal. Combine the rinsed toor dal, 3 cups water, and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. Cook on high pressure for 8 minutes (or simmer covered on the stovetop for 30 to 35 minutes) until completely soft and mashable. Whisk or mash until smooth and set aside.
2. Simmer the vegetables. In a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, combine the tomatoes, onion, drumstick (or substitute vegetable), remaining 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and cook 10 to 12 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
3. Add tamarind and spices. Stir in the tamarind water (or paste), sambar powder, salt, and jaggery. Simmer 5 minutes, allowing the raw tamarind smell to cook off.
4. Combine with dal. Pour the cooked dal into the pot. Add 1 to 2 more cups of water to reach a pourable but not watery consistency—sambar should coat the back of a spoon. Simmer together 8 to 10 minutes. Taste and adjust salt, tamarind, and sambar powder as needed.
5. Make the tempering. Heat oil or ghee in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add mustard seeds and cover—they will pop in 30 seconds. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, dried chilies, and curry leaves (stand back; the curry leaves will splatter). Stir 20 seconds, then add garlic and cook 30 seconds more until golden.
6. Finish and portion. Pour the tempering over the sambar and stir to combine. Simmer together 2 minutes. Serve over rice or with idli, or ladle into airtight containers for the week. Sambar keeps refrigerated up to 5 days and freezes well for up to 2 months.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 165 | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Carbs: 24g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 310mg