An easy sambar recipe that is a low-carb butternut squash soup made with South Indian sambar ingredients .

This Indian butternut squash recipe is perfect for Indian keto diets . The keto sambar can be enjoyed with a healthy dosa or idli for a completely clean meal.

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No more lentils! Those words were hard for me to understand, but once I realized how they really made me feel I knew I had to try harder. This is where this Indian butternut squash sambar recipe came about.

  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Substitutions
  • My Tips
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Community
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Ingredients

  • butternut squash, steamed and pureed - feel free to use pre-cut or even frozen butternut squash.
  • coriander powder
  • turmeric powder
  • fresh ginger - grated finely
  • mustard seeds
  • cumin seeds
  • hing (asafaetido) - adds a lot of flavor to the sambar
  • shredded coconut
  • lemon juice - can substitute with lime juice
  • curry leaves
  • dried red chili peppers
  • cilantro
  • sugar, guar, or brown sugar
  • salt, oil, water
  • red chili powder
  • sambar masala - I like Badshah Brand Sambar Masala
  • OPTIONAL: A variation of steamed/sauteed vegetables (peas, carrots, potatoes, drumsticks, onions, zuchinni, etc

Instructions

Peel, cut, and cook the butternut squash with either steam or by boiling in water.

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Puree the cooked butternut squash until it is smooth and creamy.

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Add spices to the puree that are listed in the recipe card. Feel free to add as much spice as you prefer.

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Heat oil in a small butter pan and then add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and hing to the oil. Add red chili peppers, curry leaves, and cilantro (optional), and then pour it into the low carb butternut squash sambar.

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Add extra cilantro on top and enjoy!

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TIP- Squeeze lemon juice on top for an extra tang

Substitutions

  • Butternut Squash- Feel free to add some toor daal.
  • Hing- Asofaetido adds a lot of flavor in Indian Food. It is mostly used when tempering oil and not over cooked. If you do not have any, then simply skip this ingredient.
  • Sugar- Use guar (jaggery) or brown sugar.

My Tips

  1. Add date syrup instead of sugar for a darker sambar color.
  2. Enjoy the South Indian Butternut Squash Sambar Recipe with a high protein dish such as quinoa.
  3. Keep the sambar thick when eating with dosa so it is “dunkable” and add extra vegetables for a true South Indian Sambar flavor.

📖 Recipe

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Butternut Squash Sambar

Ingredients1x2x3x

  • ▢ 4 cups butternut squash, steamed and pureed
  • ▢ 4 cups water
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon dry coriander powder
  • ▢ ½ tablespoon turmeric
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon oil
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ▢ ½ teaspoon hing (asafaetido)
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon finely chopped/crushed raw peanuts (optional)
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon shredded coconut (optional)
  • ▢ ½ fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • ▢ 5 curry leaves (optional)
  • ▢ 3 whole dried red chili peppers (optional)
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon sambar masala (more or less), I like to use Badshah Brand Sambar Masala
  • ▢ chopped cilantro for garnishment
  • ▢ salt
  • ▢ red chili powder
  • ▢ OPTIONAL: A variation of steamed/sauteed vegetables (peas, carrots, potatoes, drumsticks, onions, zuchinni, etc)

Instructions

  • Place a pot on the stove top with medium heat.
  • Pour the butternut squash and water into the pot.
  • Add steamed/sauteed vegetables, ginger, dry coriander powder, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, lemon juice, curry leaves, sambar masala, coconut, and peanuts. Bring the contents to a boil.
  • While the soup heats, prepare the tempered oil. In an XSmall pan heat some oil. Then add the mustard & cumin seeds and wait for them to pop.
  • Immediately add hing (asafaetido) and whole dried red chili peppers.
  • Pour the tempered oil in the butternut squash soup pot as soon as the chili peppers have cooked for a few seconds. (NOTE: work very quick with the tempered oil to prevent ingredients from excessive browning)
  • Let the soup boil for another 2-3 minutes and serve.
  • Enjoy as a replacement for sambar, daar/daal, or a soup.

Notes

south asian butternut squash recipe sambar in a bowl with cilantro and chili peppers - 10

Butternut Squash Sambar

Ingredients

  • 4 cups butternut squash, steamed and pureed
  • 4 cups water
  • 1 tablespoon dry coriander powder
  • ½ tablespoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1 teaspoon oil
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon hing (asafaetido)
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped/crushed raw peanuts (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon shredded coconut (optional)
  • ½ fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 5 curry leaves (optional)
  • 3 whole dried red chili peppers (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon sambar masala (more or less), I like to use Badshah Brand Sambar Masala
  • chopped cilantro for garnishment
  • salt
  • red chili powder
  • OPTIONAL: A variation of steamed/sauteed vegetables (peas, carrots, potatoes, drumsticks, onions, zuchinni, etc)

Instructions

  • Place a pot on the stove top with medium heat.
  • Pour the butternut squash and water into the pot.
  • Add steamed/sauteed vegetables, ginger, dry coriander powder, turmeric, salt, red chili powder, lemon juice, curry leaves, sambar masala, coconut, and peanuts. Bring the contents to a boil.
  • While the soup heats, prepare the tempered oil. In an XSmall pan heat some oil. Then add the mustard & cumin seeds and wait for them to pop.
  • Immediately add hing (asafaetido) and whole dried red chili peppers.
  • Pour the tempered oil in the butternut squash soup pot as soon as the chili peppers have cooked for a few seconds. (NOTE: work very quick with the tempered oil to prevent ingredients from excessive browning)
  • Let the soup boil for another 2-3 minutes and serve.
  • Enjoy as a replacement for sambar, daar/daal, or a soup.

Notes

Recipe Courtesy of The Curry Mommy

Chana Masala

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One of my favorite Indian curry dishes is homemade Chana Masala. It is a popular spiced chick pea dish that can be found at all Indian restaurants in many variations.

Chickpeas are all the rave these days but this particular ingredient has been most commonly used in South Asian cooking as either a thickening or binding agent for years back. I personally think the perfect Chana Masala recipe relies on how the chick peas are cooked. In this recipe you will note the Chana (chickpeas) is cooked well. Overcooked to be precise.

This helps ensure a thicker gravy.

Chana Masala has a great tang, spice, and tummy filling comfort zone that is perfect for those meatless days. I like to pair it with PURI, rice, or homemade paratha, but you can try it with a healthy tortilla, brown rice, or quinoa.

If you are looking for the perfect white rice recipe, then check out my post here.

What kind of chick peas to use

TIP: The Instant Pot is a great gadget to quickly make whole dried chickpeas using the “bean and stew” button, but if you are crunching on time then use a can or frozen; just be sure to rinse them well to drain all excess sodium :). Either case, I highly recommend you boil/steam the chick peas before putting them into the spice mixture (see recipe below) and then mashing it in the pot. I also like to add spinach to mine sometimes just to add some healthy greens, but you can skip it.

Love surti food? Then try these….

  1. Surati Khaman Dhokla Recipe
  2. Bharela Marcha - Stuffed Bullet Chillies
  3. New Year’s Black Eyed Peas

Step-by-Step Instructions

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Happy Eating Folks! <3

Chana Masala Recipe

📖 Recipe

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Chana Masala

Ingredients1x2x3x

  • ▢ 2 cups well steamed/boiled chick peas
  • ▢ 1 medium finely diced, fresh tomato
  • ▢ 1 medium finely diced, onion
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon turmeric (powder or fresh)
  • ▢ 2 teaspoon fresh coriander powder (optional)
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon chana masala/chole chana masala (garam masala can be substituted)
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon finely grated fresh garlic (about 2 cloves)
  • ▢ 1 teaspoon finely fresh grated ginger (about half a thumb size)
  • ▢ 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ▢ ¼ cup heavy whipping cream (optional)
  • ▢ ½ cup water
  • ▢ 2 cups finely chopped baby spinach (optional)
  • ▢ 6 whole peppercorns (optional)
  • ▢ salt
  • ▢ red chili powder
  • ▢ finely chopped cilantro for garnishment
  • ▢ oil

Instructions

  • In a non-stick pan heat oil and add peppercorns (optional). Immediately add the chopped onions and cook until translucent.
  • Add tomatoes, red chili powder, dry coriander powder, ginger, garlic, masala, and turmeric. Cook until tomatoes no longer have any water.
  • Add tomato paste and mix well. THEN add water. When the water is added after the paste has been mixed it, you will find it easier to combine the water into the dish.
  • Stir in the chick peas, baby spinach, and salt. Mash about half of the chick peas with a masher. I add salt at the end to prevent over or under measurement (I add ½ tablespoon but please add according to your salt tolerance level).
  • Stir in heavy whipping cream (optional).
  • Cook for an additional 5 minutes on medium/high heat stirring frequently.
  • Top with cilantro.
  • Serve with one of the following starches-white/brown rice, quinoa, naan, paratha, or roti; and add an onion salad + lemon wedge to the final dish.
  • ENJOY!