Sambar Rice | Sambar Sadam
User Reviews
5
22 reviews
Excellent
-
Prep Time
10 mins
-
Cook Time
40 mins
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Total Time
50 mins
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Servings
4
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Calories
488 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Indian
Sambar Rice | Sambar Sadam
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Sambar Rice, or Sambar Sadam, is a comforting South Indian dish made by cooking rice and toor dal (pigeon pea lentils) together and mixing them with a spiced, tangy tamarind and vegetable stew. The preparation involves tempering aromatic mustard seeds, curry leaves, and dried chilies in sesame oil to enhance flavor. Mixed vegetables and spices like sambar powder, turmeric, and chili powder enrich the dish's warmth and complexity. This one-pot meal balances protein, vegetables, and carbohydrates, suitable for a wholesome lunch or dinner.
Description
Sambar Rice is prepared by pressure cooking rice and toor dal with salt and a touch of sesame oil until soft and tender. Separately, tamarind is soaked in hot water to extract its sour pulp, which is later added to the cooked dal-rice mixture. Vegetables such as onions, tomatoes, drumsticks, and a medley of diced vegetables are sautéed with curry leaves, asafoetida, turmeric, and chili powder in sesame oil, creating a richly flavored base.
This vegetable mixture is combined with the tamarind water and spiced sambar powder, simmered to meld flavors, and then incorporated into the cooked rice and dal. A final tempering with mustard seeds, dried red chilies, curry leaves, and asafoetida in sesame oil is poured over to boost aroma and taste. The optional addition of ghee lends richness and depth.
Sambar Rice is typically served hot, often accompanied by a drizzle of ghee, making it comforting and filling. It is versatile for using various vegetables and can be adapted by steaming vegetables separately or adjusting spice levels. The recipe notes include options to cook using an Instant Pot and tips for ingredient substitutions to suit pantry availability and dietary preferences.
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Ingredients
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 tamarind tightly packed
- ⅓ cup water hot
For cooking vegetables
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil (gingelly oil)
- ⅓ cup onion or pearl onions or shallots, thickly sliced
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups mixed vegetables like french beans, carrots, capsicum, brinjal, pumpkin, chopped
- 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 dried red chilies halved and seeds removed
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
For serving
- 2 to 3 teaspoons ghee - optional
Instructions
Cooking rice and lentils
- 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.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
- Pressure cook for 15 to 16 minutes on medium heat.
- When the pressure falls naturally on its own, remove the lid and check if the rice and lentils are cooked together.
- 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
- Meanwhile when the rice & lentils are cooking, soak ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ⅓ cup hot water for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Later squeeze the tamarind pulp extract in the bowl of water and keep aside.
Cooking veggies
- 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.
- Add ⅓ cup thickly sliced onions. You can also use pearl onions or shallots.
- Sauté for 1 minute on a low to medium heat.
- Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta) and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Sauté for a couple of seconds then add ½ cup diced tomatoes. Mix and saute tomatoes for 2 minutes.
- 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.
- Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder. Mix again very well.
- Now add 2 to 2.5 cups water or add as required.
- Season with salt as per taste. Stir to mix.
- 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.
- Simmer till the veggies are almost cooked. Then add the tamarind pulp.
- Next add 1 tablespoon sambar powder. You can also add more sambar powder if you want. Mix very well.
- 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
- When the veggies are cooked tender and softened, then add the lightly mashed dal and rice.
- 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.
- Then add 1 tablespoon ghee. Ghee can be skipped if you want.
- Mix again. Check the taste and add more salt if needed.
Making tempering
- Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a tadka pan or a small frying pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
- Then add 3 to 4 dry red chilies, 12 to 15 curry leaves and 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Stir and fry till the red chilies change their color and become dark. Take care not to burn them.
- Pour this entire tempering mixture on the sambar rice. Mix very well.
- 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
- Using unpolished toor dal enhances flavor and nutrition.
- Sesame oil or ghee can be used interchangeably according to preference or dietary needs.
- Adjust vegetables based on availability; common ones include beans, carrots, pumpkin, and drumsticks.
- Sambar powder quality greatly affects flavor; homemade or high-quality store-bought powders are recommended.
- The lentils and rice can be pressure cooked or prepared in an Instant Pot for convenience.
- Vegetables can be steamed using the Pot-In-Pot method while the lentils and rice cook to save time and retain texture.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
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
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.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
22 reviews
Excellent
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