Of the multitudes of Sambar (south Indian Lentil stew) varieties the easiest one is made by boiling vegetables in tamarind water & cooked lentil with a sambhar powdered spice blend added for the characteristic flavor <br /> <br />This is not the simple type. <br /> <br />On days that involve entertaining special guests (a.k.a visiting sons-in-law), Sambars are made with freshly toasted spices & lentils that are ground to a paste as opposed to the fast variety involving the ready made spice blend. My Maternal grandmother's specialty was making a divine sambhar with radishes & coconut. Given that radishes were a rarity 60 years ago in the tiny village she lived in, it makes this family favorite all the more special. The radishes make for the best part of the dish and they tend to be fished out & polished off way before the sambhar does.

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