• 40 ideas
  • Checked October 2026

What to Eat with Sambar

Idli, dosa and vada to dip, rice to pour it over, and the chutneys and crunchy things beside them.

What to Eat with Sambar

Show all 40
  1. IdliPour the sambar over, or dunk each piece until it soaks through.
  2. Appalam (papadum)Crush it over the sambar rice, or snap off pieces to scoop.
  3. Steamed riceLadle the sambar over a mound of hot rice and mix before eating.
  4. Plain dosaTear off a piece, fold it and dip one end.
  5. Coconut chutneyPut it next to the sambar and take a little of each per bite.

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All 40 ideas

Idli, dosa and vada 9

  • Idli Pour the sambar over, or dunk each piece until it soaks through.
  • Masala dosa Scoop some potato filling with each piece before it goes in the sambar.
  • Medu vada Dip the crisp ring, or sink it in the bowl and let it soften.
  • Mini idlis (button idlis) Float them in a bowl of sambar and eat with a spoon.
  • Paper dosa Break off shards and use them to scoop.
  • Plain dosa Tear off a piece, fold it and dip one end.
  • Rava dosa Dip it quickly and eat it while it is hot.
  • Rava idli Split one open so the sambar can run into the middle.
  • Uttapam Pour a spoonful of sambar over the top, then cut it into wedges.

More breakfast plates 5

  • Adai Tear it into pieces and drag each one through the bowl.
  • Idiyappam (steamed rice noodles) Pour the sambar over the nest and let the strands soak it up.
  • Paniyaram Spear one, dunk it, and eat it in a single bite.
  • Upma A ladle of sambar at the side, mixed in a spoonful at a time.
  • Ven pongal Make a dent in the middle and ladle the sambar into it.

Rice and the dishes around it 10

  • Avial Set a spoonful at the side of the rice, not on top.
  • Cabbage poriyal A dry vegetable dish at the edge of the plate, eaten between mouthfuls.
  • Curd rice Cool and plain, to finish the plate.
  • Ghee A small spoonful melted over the hot rice before the sambar goes on.
  • Kootu A second, milder spoonful next to the sambar rice.
  • Mango pickle A very small piece at the edge of the plate goes a long way.
  • Plain yogurt A spoonful on the side for anyone who finds the sambar hot.
  • Potato fry Crisp, spiced cubes to eat alongside sambar and rice.
  • Rasam Keep some rice back for it, once the sambar is finished.
  • Steamed rice Ladle the sambar over a mound of hot rice and mix before eating.

Crunchy things alongside 4

  • Appalam (papadum) Crush it over the sambar rice, or snap off pieces to scoop.
  • Banana chips Salted ones, for crunch against soft rice.
  • Murukku Bite one between mouthfuls of sambar rice.
  • Potato chips A handful on the side of the plate does the job of an appalam.

Chutneys and podi for the same plate 6

  • Coconut chutney Put it next to the sambar and take a little of each per bite.
  • Ginger chutney Sharp and sweet at once. Try it with a thick uttapam.
  • Idli podi with sesame oil Make a little well of oil in the powder and press the idli into it.
  • Onion chutney The spicy one. A small spoonful is enough.
  • Peanut chutney Thick and nutty, for a dosa that has already been through the sambar.
  • Tomato chutney Sweet and hot. Good on the plate when the sambar is mild.

To finish 3

  • A banana Peel it and eat it plain, after everything else.
  • Payasam A small cup, warm or cold, once the plates are cleared.
  • Rava kesari A spoonful or a small square beside the coffee.

Drinks 3

  • Filter coffee Milky and hot, after a breakfast of idli or dosa.
  • Spiced buttermilk Thin, salted and cold, with a rice meal.
  • Tender coconut water Drink it chilled, straight after a spicy plate.

How it works

What to eat with sambar is commonly idli or dosa. These 40 ideas cover the breakfast plates it is poured over, rice and the dishes around it, crunchy things, chutneys, sweets and three drinks.

Read the full guide

Breakfast, then lunch

Sambar is also spelled sambhar. Medu vada is usually served with it and coconut chutney, and uttapam is often eaten with it too. At lunch in Tamil Nadu it goes with rice, beside rasam, curd and a dry vegetable dish called poriyal. It is often mixed into the rice and eaten with something crunchy, such as murukku or potato chips.

Dip or pour

Plain idlis are mild, so pour the sambar over them or dunk each piece. Keep a crisp dosa out of the bowl and dip it bite by bite.

  • Make more sambar than looks right. Idli and rice both soak up a lot of it.
  • Bring it to the table hot, in a pot with a ladle, so everyone pours their own.

Questions and answers

What is sambar eaten with besides idli and dosa?

At breakfast: medu vada, uttapam, ven pongal, upma, idiyappam, paniyaram or adai. Later in the day: steamed rice.

How do you eat sambar with rice?

Ladle it over hot steamed rice, add a little ghee and mix. Eat it with a dry vegetable dish such as cabbage poriyal, a crisp appalam and a small piece of pickle.

What chutney goes with sambar?

Coconut chutney first: idli and medu vada are often served with it and sambar together. Tomato, onion, peanut and ginger chutneys are on this list too, and idli podi mixed with sesame oil is the dry choice.

What do you drink with sambar?

Without alcohol: filter coffee after a breakfast of idli or dosa, spiced buttermilk with a rice meal, or tender coconut water.

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