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 too. The choices are almost endless and the taste is divine.
"Koddel" means Sambar prepared with coconut, in Udupi cuisine. Although it is quite popular across India, it is more predominant in South India. I have shared step by step directions for this fan-favorite recipe.
If you prepare the Sambar Powder as I shared in my recipe "How to make Sambar Powder", then this recipe for Green Beans Sambar becomes even easier to prepare. But you definitely get a fresher and aromatic dish when you use fresh ground spices and freshly grated coconut.
Beans Koddel can be served with steamed rice, Dosa, or even with roti.
Here is the authentic Udupi sambar recipe:
Ingredients for beans sambar
½ cup grated coconut
1 cup chopped green beans
¼ cup Toor Dal
3 tablespoon sambar powder
1 tablespoon grated jaggery
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
Salt to taste
1 strand curry leaves
Pinch of Asafoetida
How to make Beans Koddel/ Huli
Wash the green beans and cook it with 1 ½ cups water. When green beans are half cooked add tamarind paste, jaggery, and salt. Cover the lid and let the beans absorb the flavors, for a few minutes.
Blend the coconut, and 3 tablespoon sambar masala powder with ½ cup water and bring to a smooth paste consistency.
In a separate pan, cook the Toor dal in a pressure cooker to soften the dal (¼ cup Toor dal with ½ cup water for 4 whistles)
Now add cooked Toor dal to beans and follow up with the blended masala paste.
When the sambar starts to boil, switch off the heat and add seasonings. To prepare the seasoning, place a pan over medium heat and add a teaspoon 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 Asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the seasoning to sambar or koddel.
How to make beans sambar in Instant Pot
The first step is to soak the Toor dal for 1 hour in warm water.
Then add the chopped beans and soaked Toor dal inside the inner pot with water just enough to cover the beans and dal.
Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Once the timer goes off, do a natural release.
Meanwhile, prepare the sambar masala powder or else use store-bought sambar powder.
To prepare freshly grounded masala powder, place a small pan over medium heat, add 2 teaspoon of coconut oil. When the oil heats up add 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ½ tablespoon split black gram/ urad dal, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Saute them until they sizzle and turn golden brown.
You will also notice the aroma rising from the spices. Now add red chilies according to suite your preference and saute them until they turn crispy. I used 6 red chilies for my recipe and it turned out pretty spicy. Switch off the heat and let it cool down.
Blend the prepared sambar masala spices, and grated coconuts with ¾ cup water into a smooth paste.
Now add the blended sambar paste in the inner pot and mix with cooked dal and beans. And also add tamarind paste, jaggery, and salt. mix well.
Press saute and continue to cook until it comes to the boiling point. This would take 2 - 3 minutes. At that point, press the 'cancel' button and add the seasoning.
To prepare the seasoning/tempering, place a pan over medium heat, and add a teaspoon 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 Asafoetida and curry leaves. switch off the heat.
Add the tempering to the beans sambar.
Can I use store-bought sambar powder?
Yes, you can use store-bought sambar powder. Make sure to buy some good quality and authentic Udupi style sambar powder for this recipe.
Here are few more Udupi cuisines
📖 Recipe
Green Beans Sambar - Udupi Koddel
Process Shot
Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)
Ingredients
- ½ cup grated coconut
- 1 cup chopped green beans
- ¼ cup Toor Dal
- 3 tablespoon sambar powder
- 1 tablespoon grated jaggery
- 1 tablespoon tamarind paste
- Salt to taste
- 1 strand curry leaves
- Pinch of Asfoetida
Sambar Powder Spices
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- ½ tablespoon black gram
- ½ teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 6 red chilies
- 2 teaspoon Coconut oil
Instructions
Stovetop Method
- Wash the green beans and cook it with 1 ½ cups water. When green beans are half cooked add tamarind paste, jaggery, and salt. Cover the lid and let the beans absorb the flavors, for a few minutes.
- Blend the coconut, and 3 tablespoon sambar masala powder with ½ cup water and bring to a smooth paste consistency. In a separate pan, cook the Toor dal in a pressure cooker to soften the dal (¼ cup Toor dal with ½ cup water for 4 whistles)
- Now add cooked Toor dal to beans and follow up with the blended masala paste.
- When the sambar starts to boil, switch off the heat and add seasonings. To prepare the seasoning, place a pan over medium heat and add a teaspoon 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 Asafoetida and curry leaves. Add the seasoning to sambar or koddel.
Instant Pot Method
- The first step is to soak the Toor dal for 1 hour in warm water.
- Then add the chopped beans and soaked Toor dal inside the inner pot with water just enough to cover the beans and dal.
- Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes, with the pressure valve in the sealing position. Once the timer goes off, do a natural release.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sambar masala powder or else use store-bought sambar powder.
- To prepare freshly grounded masala powder, place a small pan over medium heat, add 2 teaspoon of coconut oil. When the oil heats up add 1 tablespoon coriander seeds, ½ tablespoon split black gram/ urad dal, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. Saute them until they sizzle and turn golden brown.
- You will also notice the aroma rising from the spices. Now add red chilies according to suite your preference and saute them until they turn crispy. I used 6 red chilies for my recipe and it turned out pretty spicy. Switch off the heat and let it cool down. Blend the prepared sambar masala spices, and grated coconuts with ¾ cup water into a smooth paste.
- Now add the blended sambar paste in the inner pot and mix with cooked dal and beans. And also add tamarind paste, jaggery, and salt. mix well.
- Press saute and continue to cook until it comes to the boiling point. This would take 2 - 3 minutes. At that point, press the 'cancel' button and add the seasoning.
- To prepare the seasoning/tempering, place a pan over medium heat, and add a teaspoon 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 Asafoetida and curry leaves. switch off the heat.
- Add the tempering to the beans sambar.
Notes
- If your sambar is thick add a little bit of warm water.
- Store it in the fridge up to 3 days
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
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Jolly
Many times I’ve come across people said “Udipi food” is very appetizing, but their recipes are very elaborate. I must say by seeing ur recipes this is really such an amazing recipe and that too extremely simple. Beautiful share!!
Geetha
Wow beans koddel sounds interesting and delicious. Making it in IP is definitely a breeze.
Vanitha Bhat
Yumm! I love koddel! Being a Mangalorean, coconut based koddel and ghashi are a must in my kitchen at least twice a week! Beans koddel is a new one to me; will definitely try this dear! Thanks for sharing your version especially the IP version! Beautiful clicks too 🙂
Uma Raghupathi
Thank you Vanitha. I hope you will enjoy koddel as well.
Sasmita
Beans sambar sounds much interesting ! The process seems quite simple and that too in IP is a lovely idea 🙂
Will make sometime, superb share !
Uma Raghupathi
Thank you Sasmita.
Padma Veeranki
Sambar with any vegetable is comfort food for us... looks so delicious!! Love sambar with coconut...Just need a bowl of rice and I'm good to go!! Next time I will try your version of sambar!!
Jagruti's Cooking Odyssey
Wow..never knew that you can make beans sambahr too, sounds delicious and tempting.
Sapana and Gautam Beh
Green beans sambhar in instant pot sounds very interesting. Love how versatile instant pot is, I shall buy one too.
Mayuri Patel
I think this recipe has come to me at the right time, a few days ago got so much of green beans, used some for stir fry vegetables, made the Gujarati style Posho nu Shaak but still have some more left. This sambhar with coconut looks so delicious and doable. So creamy and am sure is yummy with rice. Thanks for the recipe.
Vandana
I love Sambhar and can have Sambhar rice daily. Even though I am from North India, Sambhar rice with some gun powder and ghee is my comfort food as my mother used to make it a lot and it's a family favorite. Your Beans Sambhar recipe is so unique, I will definitely try it.
Archana
I do add beans to sambhar but not tried making this delicious koddel. This is totally a new way of making sambhar. Thanks will try it out.
Seema Sriram
My husband loved Koddel and usually, I make it in the open pan. I will love to try this instant pot version for sure as it looks so much more easier that stirring the open pot.
Lata Lala
I have never tried making beans sambar. I love South indian cuisine a lot and this sounds perfect.
Bookmarking this to make it soon.
Shailender Sharma
Beans sambar is new to me and sounds interesting. Recipe is simple with the ingredients, generally available in almost every kitchen. Superb post.
Uma Raghupathi
Thank you 😊 Hope you will make it.
Leela
Lovely recipe. My mom use to make this when we are kids. This recipe reminded my olden days. Thanks Uma. I will make this tonight.
Uma Raghupathi
Thank you Leela. Hope you will like this Sambar!
Smitha
I made this Sambar. Came out really good. Can you tell us how to cook dal in pressure cooker? Thank you 😊