Most hotels serve sambar with idli, dosas, pongal, and the ever popular uddina vada. Hotel style sambar also called tiffin sambar is an absolute must in tiffin centres and darshinis. Served with rice and a papad on the side is the saviour lunch for many people. It provides warmth and comfort to a hungry stomach. Daily office goers and factory goers depend on this tiffin sambar and rice.
So it is not only breakfast items but it is a staple in ‘tiffin’ boxes and carriers as they are called. Imagine dunking a piece of uddina vada in hot tiffin sambar, absolutely to die for! Plain tiffin sambar has pearl or sambar onions and tomatoes. A fresh masala is roasted and ground everyday and then simmered in a dal gravy. The more it boils the better it tastes.
You can also choose to add a few vegetables like potatoes, beans, carrot etc into your favourite tiffin sambar. However plain also tastes really good and that is how it is generally made. You can also make it without onions and keep it simpler by making just tomato sambar. Try more sambar and kootu recipes from FOI sorekayi sambar, carrot saaru, beetroot huLi etc.