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Koddel (The Udupi style Sambar)

by Pratiba

Many a times I’ve come across people saying, “Udupi food is very appetizing but the recipes are very elaborate.” Well, I have come to say that it isn’t :) Preparing a rasam or sambar is a cinch. Of-course, the proportions are very important.

There is no limit to the varieties of recipes to make a sambar. At home, there are two versions of sambars that get cooked, my MIL prepares the Mysorean style of sambar masala, whereas I make the Udupi version. In Mangalore, people prepare sambars in number of varieties. There is no end to the diversity.


The Udupi version is a lovely and simple recipe. To be honest I learnt the recipe only after I got married. Till then I used to be blind to the preparation. The masala has just five ingredients and that makes it quite simple. “Kodhel” is the name given to “Sambar” by the Shivalli Brahmin Community. It tastes a little spicy with a mild flavoring of jaggery.

Udupi District is a religious spot and is specially famous for the Krishna Temple. We some how end up going to this temple for lunch at least once in a month. The food here is absolutely wonderful and since sweets are my biggest weaknesses, I can never forget the taste of the creamy payasam thats is served here. The time I think about it, I go hungry. There is no other place where I’ll be served such a perfectly cooked payasam. Sometimes, I even go for a second serving of payasam in the temple when all others get ready for the last course of the meal.

I love Udupi. I also love the fact that its a coastal city with “beaches”! :) Of-Course the humid weather is a concern. Udupi has a lot to add to whatever I am today. Right from childhood I have been travelling to Udupi for various reasons.


I still remember spending my school vacations in my maternal grandparents’ place in Udupi where my mother was born. My mother used to take me to visit her mother on every vacation. I used to travel with her to her place and I still remember, how as a kid, I used to feel saddened to leave for Mangalore after vacations were done. Now things have changed and the present shows me a different view after my grandmother and mother, chose to rest in peace. I hardly see myself going to that place now, and also it feels strange too. But I am still connected to Udupi in many other ways and that amounts to some satisfaction.

Koddel (The Udupi style Sambar)

  • Servings: 4-6
  • Difficulty: fairly easy
  • Print

  • Kodhel is an Udupi version of Sambar. It has five main ingredients that forms a masala, flavoured with tamarind and jaggery. Methi seeds (1/2 tsp – roasted) and Cumin seeds (3/4 tsp – roasted) could be added. These are optional. I generally skip these two ingredients while making sambar because it creates the flavour of the rasam. These two ingredients are mainly used in my samaradhane rasam and tiffin samabhar recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup – Toor Dal
  • 1 – Tomato (Medium Sized cut in half – Tomato is purely optional and is usually not added in Temples)
  • 3/4 inched sphere – Tamarind – (Soaked in 1/2 cup of water for 1 hour)
  • 10 – Green Beans or any vegetable that suits the koddel (Chopped into 1 inch/bit pieces)
  • 1 tbsp – Jaggery (Grated or melted)
  • 1/2 tsp – Turmeric Powder
  • 250 ml for Toor dal + 1/2 cup for grinding the paste + 1.5 cups for acquiring the consistency of Sambar – Water
  • 1.5 tsp – Table Salt

    • For Grinding the Masala
  • 6-7 – Dry red chillies (Prefer Byadgi more or in other cases use Guntoor)
  • 1/2 tbsp – Urad Dal / Black gram split lentil
  • 1/2 tbsp – Channa Dal / Yellow split peas
  • 1/2 tbsp – Coriander Seeds
  • 1/2 cup – Coconut
  • 1/2 tsp – Coconut Oil (for frying the masala ingredients)

    • For the seasoning
  • 1 tbsp – Coconut Oil
  • 1/2 tsp – Mustard Seeds
  • 10-12 Curry Leaves
  • 1/4 tsp – Asafetida (Hing)
  • 1-2 – Dry red chillies (Guntoor)


Directions

  • In a wok, heat 1/2 tsp of oil and stir fry the masala ingredients except the coconut. Fry these for 5 minutes or until the ingredients leave out a lovely aroma. After this turn off the heat and add in the coconut and just stir along with the other ingredients in the same wok and keep aside for cooling.

  • After the cooling time, blend all these in a blender adding about 1/2 cup of water little by little to make a smooth paste. Sometimes lesser than half cup of water is sufficient depending on the freshness of coconut.

  • In the meantime, cook toor dal, tomato together with 1 cup of water and turmeric powder preferably in a pressure cooker. Also cook the beans in the pressure cooker. Keep these aside.
  • In a vessel extract the tamarind pulp completely. Bring this to a boil along with jaggery.

  • Once all the jaggery has been melted, add in the cooked dal and beans.
  • Bring this mixture to a boil on a medium high flame. And then add in the salt.
  • After the mixture is boiled, add in the ground masala paste to this boiling mixture and mix well to bind the mixture well. Add water little by little to get a consistency. (You may need 1.5 cups of water) Bring this to another boil. Once this is done turn off the heat.
  • In a small wok, heat oil for seasoning, add in mustard seeds. Wait for the seeds to stop popping and add in the curry leaves, asafetida and dry red chillies. Wait for 5 seconds turn off the heat and add this to the curry (Sambar). Serve hot with rice.

Tips: For the authentic Udupi sambhar, skip the tomatoes. Instead of beans, use a more local Dakshina Kannada vegetable variety such as sweet pumpkin, ash gourd, long yard beans or the Gulla Badane (the local green round brinjal).

CategoriesComfort Food Lunch Sambars / Rasams / Clear Soups Udupi Satvik Food
    2. Pratiba Bhat says:

      I have read your comment and replied as well. Kindly go through the comments section once again please. Also, please do keep in mind that I moderate comments once in 3-4 days.

      Reply
  2. Vijay says:

    I am surprised you are using Tamarind extract as this is not native to Mangalore. Also the inherent sourness in the Mangalore Southe what I understand that there is no need to use tamarind. Please clarify

    Reply
    1. Pratiba Bhat says:

      No recipe of Sambhar/Kodhel/Rasam goes without using Tamarind. Its the most basic ingredient in most of the South Canara and Udupi recipes :) I think you have confused things for something else. :) Mangalore Southe is generally bland in taste (though very few do say they find it sour) and it acquires the flavour of the base its cooked in. And where have I mentioned about “The Mangalore Cucumber” in the post? I have used only beans in this recipe. Though you can easily interchange it with Mangalore cucumber. Exactly what recipe are you looking for?

      Reply
  6. Deepak says:

    Tried this multiple times with mangalore cucumber. Comes out very well. Thanks for the recipe and do write more south canara recipes pls.

    Reply
  7. sravanthi says:

    thank you for the recipe. it was perfect and tasted exactly like the way we use to have it back in india. thank you. more udipi recipes please :)

    Reply
  9. Kruti says:

    Hi …i tried the recipe with Mangalore Southekai….. Curry turned out just yummm…..Thanks for sharing the recipe!!

    Reply
  12. shantha prabhu says:

    Nice recipe, One thing I wanted to know was what is added in it to thicken the gravy (the ones they cook at weddings especially).

    Reply
    1. Pratiba Bhat says:

      Shantha Prabhu: Thank you. :) If you want to make a thicker gravy you have two options. First, go for more coconut. This will give you a better taste. You probably have to adjust the salt and spices. Second option is to dry roast about 2-3 tbsp of white uncooked rice grains and then grind this along with the other spices. Here too, you need to adjust the salt and spices as well.

      Reply
  13. MOHAN BHAT says:

    In this world cooking and agriculture are the original professions, which demands vision, planning, time management, quality, safety utilization of resources etc.one who excels in this profession really great.

    Reply
  14. Radhakrishnan says:

    Hi Pratiba,
    I love udupi sambhar thanks for the recipe,looking forward for some more delicacy.
    Best wishes & regards
    Radhakrishnan
    9448111121

    Reply
  16. Kallooraya says:

    I happened to taste havyaka brahmin sambar (they call it kodhil) which I liked equally. Kindly post it if you know the exact recipie.

    Reply
  17. Bharathi says:

    @ Prathiba, Thanks for the detailed recipie of kodhel. I think traditional kodhel should not have toor daal in it.
    I suggest you to visit a blog ruchiruchiadige.com, it is wonderful.You get brahmin dishes and snacks recipies there.

    Reply
    1. Pratiba Bhat says:

      Hello Bharathi. Plain coconut sambar is generally prepared only on special occasions. It has a richer taste, although, that cannot be eaten in large amounts. Thanks for dropping by.

      Reply
  18. vani says:

    it looks simple and yummy and am going to try it. thanks for this pure veg recipe. i am a telugu brahmin and keep trying to get hold of brahmin recipes from different parts of india.

    Reply
  19. Anupama says:

    I luv udupi resturant sambar ..just crazy about sipping sambar..ill try tom..i hope it turns as hotel one..
    Thanks n regards

    Reply
  20. rekha says:

    hey darling, ur sambar was mind blowing.. gonna try it tomoro.. my son’s usually cranky bout eating, hopefully he likes d sambar.. my husband loves udupi sambar, hopefully i replicate ur recipe..

    Reply
    1. Pratiba says:

      Akshaya: Thanks. :)
      Divya: Yeah it is cute. Its not a bucket. Its an age old tiffin carrier which was bought by my MIL for Vinay when he was little. It has got a lid even! :)

      Reply
  30. Prathima Rao says:

    I am a shivhalli brahmin from native udipi & livin in mlore..And I must say this sambhar looks simply perfect!!! right amount of spice and sweetness from jaggery as traditionally made by the brahmin cooks at family functions..:) Next u do visit mlore, do let me know, would love to meet u :)

    Reply

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