Sambar Rice | Sambar Sadam

User Reviews

5.0

33 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 mins

  • Total Time

    50 mins

  • Servings

    4

  • Calories

    488 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Indian

Sambar Rice | Sambar Sadam

Sambar Rice also called Sambar Sadam in Tamil is a delicious, comforting meal of both sambar and rice cooked together. This South Indian lentil, rice and vegetable preparation is healthy and filling as well.

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Ingredients

Servings

For cooking rice and dal

  • 1 cup rice
  • ½ cup toor dal (tuvar dal, arhar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
  • 3 cups water - for pressure cooking
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil (gingelly oil)

For making tamarind pulp

  • ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind
  • cup hot water

For cooking vegetables

  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil)
  • cup thickly sliced onions or pearl onions or shallots
  • 5 to 6 curry leaves
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • ½ cup diced tomatoes
  • 1.5 cups chopped mixed veggies - like french beans, carrots, capsicum, brinjal, pumpkin
  • 1 drumstick (medium to large), use tender drumsticks
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
  • ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder or paprika
  • 2 to 2.5 cups water or add as required
  • salt as required
  • 1 tablespoon sambar powder
  • 1 tablespoon ghee - optional

For tempering

  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil (gingelly oil)
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 3 to 4 dry red chillies - halved and seeds removed
  • 12 to 15 curry leaves
  • 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)

For serving

  • 2 to 3 teaspoons ghee - optional
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Instructions

Cooking rice and lentils

  1. Rinse together rice and toor dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils) a couple of times in water. Drain all the water and add both rice and dal in a 3 litre stovetop pressure cooker.
  2. Add ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
  3. Pressure cook for 15 to 16 minutes on medium heat.
  4. When the pressure falls naturally on its own, remove the lid and check if the rice and lentils are cooked together.
  5. Mash lightly and keep aside covered. In case the lentils are undercooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time.

Making tamarind pulp

  1. Meanwhile when the rice & lentils are cooking, soak ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ⅓ cup hot water for about 20 to 30 minutes.
  2. Later squeeze the tamarind pulp extract in the bowl of water and keep aside.

Cooking veggies

  1. So when the lentils and rice are cooking, you can also start to prep and cook the veggies. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a pan.
  2. Add ⅓ cup thickly sliced onions. You can also use pearl onions or shallots.
  3. Sauté for 1 minute on a low to medium heat.
  4. Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta) and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
  5. Sauté for a couple of seconds then add ½ cup diced tomatoes. Mix and saute tomatoes for 2 minutes.
  6. Next add 1.5 cups chopped mixed veggies like french beans, carrots, capsicum, brinjal, pumpkin and 1 medium to large drumstick. Sauté the veggies for a minute.
  7. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder. Mix again very well.
  8. Now add 2 to 2.5 cups water or add as required.
  9. Season with salt as per taste. Stir to mix.
  10. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the veggies on medium-low to medium heat for 16 to 18 minutes. Do check in between.
  11. Simmer till the veggies are almost cooked. Then add the tamarind pulp.
  12. Next add 1 tablespoon sambar powder. You can also add more sambar powder if you want. Mix very well.
  13. Continue to cover and cook till the veggies are cooked well and the raw taste of tamarind disappears. So cook for a further 5 to 6 minutes or more on low to medium heat.

Making sambar rice

  1. When the veggies are cooked tender and softened, then add the lightly mashed dal and rice.
  2. Mix everything thoroughly. if you want a more liquid consistency in sambar rice then add some hot water at this step and then mix again.
  3. Then add 1 tablespoon ghee. Ghee can be skipped if you want.
  4. Mix again. Check the taste and add more salt if needed.

Making tempering

  1. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a tadka pan or a small frying pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
  2. Then add 3 to 4 dry red chilies, 12 to 15 curry leaves and 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing).
  3. Stir and fry till the red chilies change their color and become dark. Take care not to burn them.
  4. Pour this entire tempering mixture on the sambar rice. Mix very well.
  5. Serve sambar sadam plain or you can accompany with a side veggie dish, curd (yogurt), pickle or appalam (papaddums). You can also dot with some ghee while serving.

Notes

  • Preferably use unpolished tuvar dal for the best taste, flavor and nutrition. 
  • You can omit adding sesame oil and use any of your preferred neutral flavored oil. You could also use ghee entirely in the recipe instead of sesame oil. 
  • Add your choice of vegetables. 
  • Use a good brand of sambar powder or a fragrant homemade sambar masala.
  • The lentils and rice can also be cooked in the Instant Pot. The vegetables can be steamed using the PIP (Pot in Pot method) when the rice and lentils are cooking.

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Calories 488kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 62g (21%) Protein 14g (28%) Fat 21g (32%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 7g Trans Fat 0.01g Cholesterol 33mg (11%) Sodium 529mg (22%) Potassium 342mg (10%) Fiber 8g (32%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 3966IU (79%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 52mg Vitamin B6 0.2mg Vitamin B12 0.1µg Vitamin C 96mg (107%) Vitamin D 0.02µg Vitamin E 1mg Vitamin K 5µg Calcium 82mg (8%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 531µg Iron 2mg (11%) Magnesium 46mg Phosphorus 145mg Zinc 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 488 kcal

% Daily Value*

Calories 488kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 62g 21%
Protein 14g 28%
Fat 21g 32%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 7g 35%
Trans Fat 0.01g 1%
Cholesterol 33mg 11%
Sodium 529mg 22%
Potassium 342mg 7%
Fiber 8g 32%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 3966IU 79%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 0.2mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 0.1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 52mg
Vitamin B6 0.2mg
Vitamin B12 0.1µg 4%
Vitamin C 96mg 107%
Vitamin D 0.02µg 0%
Vitamin E 1mg
Vitamin K 5µg
Calcium 82mg 8%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 531µg
Iron 2mg 11%
Magnesium 46mg 12%
Phosphorus 145mg
Zinc 1mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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33 reviews
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