Sambar

Toor dal is pressure-cooked to a soft mash. Vegetables — drumstick, brinjal, ash gourd, pumpkin or small onions — are boiled with tamarind extract, turmeric and sambar powder until tender, then the dal is stirred in. A tempering of mustard seeds, fenugreek, dried chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida is poured over at the end.

The result is thick, tangy and mildly hot, with the sweetness of the vegetables balancing the tamarind and the roasted coriander in the spice mix.

Arachuvitta sambar uses a freshly ground wet masala of coconut and roasted spices. Tiffin sambar, served with idli and dosa, is thinner, sweeter and heavy on shallots. Chettinad sambar leans on fennel and pepper, while temple-style sambar avoids onion and garlic entirely.

Every tiffin room and meals restaurant in the state serves sambar, but the versions in Kumbakonam, Thanjavur and Madurai mess halls are especially well regarded. Temple annadhanam sambar has a distinct character because it is cooked in large vessels without onion or garlic.