Did You Know That The Popular South Indian Dish “Sambar” Was Actually Invented By A Marathi?

Story Of Sambar – The popular South Indian dish that you eat nowadays in your college canteens, stalls near railway stations, or temples was actually invented by a Marathi King.

Well, many of you might be aware with this fact, but I know that there will many people who have no idea about the “Sambar’s” invention.

So, guys and girls, this one is for you.

Even though there are many varieties of Sambar today, the actual fact of its invention will always remain unchanged. Yes, you’ll notice that the taste of Tamilian Sambar is somewhat different as compared to other place e.g. Kerala Sambar. But, one thing is for sure, that Sambar will always be the best dish. 😉

Now, let’s talk about the main thing here. As I mentioned that “Sambar” was actually invented by a Marathi, here’s a short story of Sambar.

For the first time, Sambar was actually prepared in the Thanjavur kitchen of a Marathi King known as “Shahaji Bhonsale”, son of Ekoji, and founder of the Marathi rule of Thanjavur. On one particular occasion, Shahaji who used to enjoy cooking a bit was trying to prepare amti (Maharashtrians dish), which included Kokum as it’s main ingredient. But, during that moment, Kokum was out of supply. So, in replacement of Kokum, the cooks or Shahaji himself decided to experiment by replacing Kokum with Tamarind. In this scenario, the dish known as amti was prepared using vegetables, lentils, and Tamarind. It was then first served to Shivaji’s son “Sambhaji” who had come in Tamil Nadu, Thanjavur to meet his relative “Shahaji Maharaj”. The dish was loved by Sambhaji and thus it became popular that way. The experimentation turned out to be good and everybody liked it so much, that the dish was named as “Sambar” after Sambhaji’s name.

Thus, “Thanjavur Marathi People” actually indicates that its a community of people who speaks a dialect that is a mixture of both Tamil and Marathi.

Also, the only point here is the relation between “Sambhaji” and “Sambar”. It’s all about the influence of our leaders on this beloved South Indian dish.

So, now that you know the story of Sambar, share it with your friends too. Well, I’m going out to eat “Sambar and idli”. What are you waiting for? Aren’t you hungry? 😉