Sambar is a part of every South Indian meal and often had more than once a day. It is a great accompaniment to idlis, dosas, uttapam, appes, vadas. The list goes on. 

Is Sambar healthy?

Yes, sambar is super healthy. Sambar is made up the following main ingredients like toovar dal, drumsticks, doodhi, tomatoes, madras onions, sambar powder and Indian spices.  

Let's understand the ingredients.

What's good in sambar.

Toor Dal (tuvar dal) : Toor dal is rich in proteins, the building block of good health. High in fiber, diabetic and heart friendly. Being an excellent source of folic acid, pregnant women must include toor dal in their daily diet. See detailed benefits of toor dal. 

Drumsticks : Drumsticks being low in calories and low in carbs, you can enjoy it in the quantity you want.  This high fiber  helps to manage and prevent many diseases like Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol by adding bulk and releasing the sugar slowly into the blood stream. drumstick is super rich in Vitamin C is and antioxidants. See detailed benefits of drumsticks. 

Onions (madras onions) : Yes, its a great antioxidant. The phytochemical present in onions along with their Vitamin C help boost your immunity. The chromium in onions help regulate your blood pressure. The sulphur in the onion which brings you tears is actually good for your eyes. Raw onions keep your heart healthy and see here for total benefits of onions.

Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.  

Doodhi (bottle gourd, lauki) : With extremely low levels of sodium, this doodhi is highly suitable for those with high BP. It helps reduce blood cholesterol levels and regulate blood pressure and ensures a proper blood flow to heart and they're onwards to all parts of the body. It helps prevent acidity and good for diabetics. See the 10 benefits of bottlegourd article for complete information. 

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have Sambar?

Yes, this recipe is very healthy. Diabetics and heart patients can enjoy this. Homemade Sambar is high in Vitamin C and a very soothing accompaniment to idlis and dosas. It has the goodness of toor dal and lots of healthy vegetables in it. Drumsticks being low in calories and low in carbs, you can enjoy it in the quantity you want.  This high fiber  helps to manage and prevent many diseases like Diabetes, Heart Disease, High Cholesterol by adding bulk and releasing the sugar slowly into the blood stream.

Can healthy individuals have Sambar?

Yes, all ingredients in this recipe are healthy.  It's hard not to stop at one bowl of sambar when having your idlis and dosas. So go ahead and have 2 to 3 helpings of Sambar.  We love giving and making healthy recipes at tarla dalal.

What to have with Sambar?

Yes, we are giving you only super healthy options here. Instead of regular idli opt for oats idli recipe or healthy oats dosa recipe. They have more fibre and are diabetic friendly. 

Healthy Oats Dosa

Sambar is high in

1. Vitamin C :  Vitamin C is a great defence against coughs and colds.

Note : a recipe is deemed high in a Vitamin or mineral if it meets 20% and above the recommended daily allowance based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

How to burn 139 calories that come from one serving of  Sambar?

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.