SAMBHAR

We all know that Idli and Sambar are inseparable.

We can assume that Idli was created sometime between 800-1200 AD

Therefore,we could speculate that Sambar probably originated between 800-1200 AD too, right? Here’s a shocker: sambar, as a dish, was created as recently as the 18th century! It is said that it originated in the kitchen of Thanjavur Marathas ruler Shahuji, who had an immense liking for a dish called amti. The dish was special because it had kokum as one of its main ingredients. However, catastrophe struck when during one particular season, the kokum (which was imported from the Maratha homeland) ran out of supply. However, some brilliant adviser in this court suggested that they try tamarind pulp for the sourness–an ingredients locals swore by. Shahji experimented the dish with tuvar dal, vegetables, spices and the tamarind pulp and served his cousin, Sambhaji, who was visiting him. The court loved the dish so much that they created a whole new supply of tamarind, and named the dish sambhar after their guest, Sambhaji. Another theory goes to Maratha ruler Shivaji’s son Sambhaji, who attempted to make daal himself when his head chef was away. “He added a little tamarind to the dal that he made an the royal kitchen dared to correct him on the fact that tamarind was not used in dal,” says S Suresh, Tamil Nadu state convener of Intach, who gave a lecture on Tanjore Maratha history earlier this week. “He loved his own concoction, which was then referred to as sambar,” says Suresh.