The word idli originates from the two Tamil words - "Ittu" and "Avi" (To lay and steam). Although the precise history of the modern idli is unknown, it is a very old food in southern Indian cuisine - WikipediaSambar or sambhar (Tamil சாம்பார் (சாம்பாறு in Sri Lanka),Kannada: huli, Malayalam: സാംബാറ്, Telugu: సాంబారు), pronounced "saambaar", is a dish common in southern India and Sri Lanka, made of lentils (usually red gram, also called toor dal in North India, and thuvaram paruppu in Tamil Nadu, South India) - Wikipedia
