Green Beans Sambar – Udupi Koddel

Green beans sambar or koddel!

Need some help with dinner tonight? Here’s a basic recipe to get food on the table in less than 30 minutes with Green Beans Sambar (Beans Koddel). This recipe goes back to the roots of Udupi cuisine with simple spices and coconut.  You can also substitute green beans with other vegetables. The choices are almost endless and the taste is divine.

“Koddel” means Sambar made with coconut, in Udupi cuisine. Using coconut for Sambar is more predominant in South India. “Koddel” is quite popular across India, with its unique taste. If you read my post titled “How to make Sambar Powder”, then this recipe for Green Beans Sambar is even more easier to prepare. But you get a better taste by using fresh ground spices and fresh grated coconut.

Beans Koddel can be served with rice, Dosa, or even with roti’s.

Here is the authentic Udupi sambar recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• 1 cup chopped green beans
• 1/4 cup Toor Dal
• 3 tbsp sambar powder
• 1 tbsp grated jaggery
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• Salt to taste
• 1 strand curry leaves
• Pinch of Asfoetida

Wash the green beans and cook it with 1 1/2 cups water. When green beans is half cooked add tamarind paste, jaggery, salt. Cover the lid and let it absorb for few minutes.

Blend the coconut, and 3 tbsp sambar masala powder with 1/2 cup water and bring to a smooth paste consistency. 

Cook the toor dal in a pressure cooker until dal softens. Now add cooked toor dal, and follow up with the blended masala paste. When sambar starts to boil, switch off the heat. To prepare the seasoning, place a pan over medium heat and add tea spoon of coconut oil. When the oil starts to heat up, add mustard seeds, black gram and chili. As the black gram starts to turn brown, add Asfoetida and curry leaves.  Add the seasoning to sambar or koddel.