Sambar rice recipe with step by step pics. Sambar rice or sambar sadam is an easy to prepare delicious one-pot meal. Making sambar rice is similar to making Bisi bele bath. only the taste is different.
Sometimes I make the entire sambar sadam recipe in a pressure cooker. Whereas at times I cook the veggies separately. In this recipe post, I have shown the method of cooking veggies separately.
The consistency of sambar rice can be easily adjusted like Khichdi. if you want to make a slightly liquid version, you can do that way or a semi-dry version by adding more or less water.
You can use your choice of veggies. I have used carrots, potatoes, drumsticks, french beans and capsicum. You can also use veggies like pumpkin, ash gourd, yellow cucumber (sambar cucumber), brinjals.
Serve sambar sadam accompanied by a pickle or fresh curd or appalams (papads).
How to make sambar rice
A) cooking rice and dal:
1. Rinse together 1 cup rice and ½ cup arhar 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 pressure cooker.
2. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt.
3. Add 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
4. Pressure cook for 15 to 16 minutes on medium flame.
5. When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the rice and dal are cooked together.
6. Mash lightly and keep aside covered. In case the dal is not cooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time.
B) making tamarind pulp
7. Meanwhile when the rice & dal are cooking, soak ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind in ⅓ cup hot water for about 20 to 30 minutes.
8. Later squeeze the tamarind pulp extract and keep aside.
Cooking veggies for sambar rice
9. So when the dal & rice are cooking, you can also start to prep and cook the veggies. Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a pan.
10. Add ⅓ cup thickly sliced onions. You can also use pearl onions or shallots.
11. Saute for 1 minute on a low to medium flame.
12. Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
13. Saute for a couple of seconds then add ½ cup diced tomatoes.
14. Mix and saute tomatoes for 2 minutes.
15. Then add 1.5 cups chopped mixed veggies like french beans, carrots, capsicum, brinjal, pumpkin and 1 medium to a large drumstick.
16. Saute the veggies for a minute.
17. Add ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder.
18. Mix again very well.
19. Now add 2 to 2.5 cups water or add as required.
20. Season with salt as per taste.
21. Stir well.
22. Cover the pan with a lid and cook the veggies on medium-low to medium flame for 16 to 18 minutes. Do check in between.
23. Simmer till the veggies are almost cooked. Then add the tamarind pulp.
24. Next add 1 tablespoon sambar powder. You can also add more sambar powder if you want. Mix very well.
25. Continue to cover and cook till the veggies are cooked well and the raw taste of tamarind goes away. So cook for a further 8 to 9 minutes on low to medium flame.
26. Do check at intervals. Simmer till the veggies are done and the raw taste of tamarind has gone away.
Making sambar rice
27. When the veggies are cooked well, then add the lightly mashed dal and rice.
28. Mix everything very well. If you want a more liquid consistency in sambar rice then add some hot water at this step and then mix well.
29. Then add 1 tablespoon ghee. Ghee can be skipped if you want. mix again. Check the taste and add more salt if required.
Making tempering for sambar rice
30. Heat 2 tablespoons sesame oil in a tadka pan or a small frying pan. Add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and let them crackle.
31. Then add 3 to 4 dry red chilies, 12 to 15 curry leaves and 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing).
32. Stir and fry till the red chilies change their color and become dark. Take care not to burn them.
33. Pour this tempering mixture on the sambar rice.
34. Mix very well.
35. Serve sambar sadam plain or you can accompany a side veggie dish, curd, pickle or appalam (papaddums). You can also dot with some ghee while serving sambar rice.
More rice recipes
sambar rice
Ingredients
for cooking rice and dal
- 1 cup rice
- ½ cup arhar dal (tuvar dal or pigeon pea lentils)
- 3 cups water for pressure cooking
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
for making tamarind pulp
- ½ tablespoon tightly packed tamarind
- ⅓ cup hot water
for cooking veggies
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ⅓ cup thickly sliced onions or pearl onions or shallots
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing)
- ½ cup diced tomatoes
- 1.5 cups chopped mixed veggies like french beans, carrots, capsicum, brinjal, pumpkin
- 1 medium to large drumstick use tender drumsticks
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon kashmiri red chili powder
- 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
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3 to 4 dry red chillies
- 12 to 15 curry leaves
- 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)
for serving
- few teaspoons of ghee (optional)
Instructions
cooking rice and dal
- Rinse together 1 cup rice and ½ cup arhar 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 pressure cooker.
- Add ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.
- Pressure cook for 15 to 16 minutes on medium flame.
- When the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the rice and dal are cooked together.
- Mash lightly and keep aside covered. In case the dal is not cooked, then add some more water and pressure cook for some more time.
making tamarind pulp
- Meanwhile when the rice & dal 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 and keep aside.
cooking veggies
- So when the dal & 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.
- Saute for 1 minute on a low to medium flame.
- Then add 5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta) and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).
- Saute for a couple of seconds then add ½ cup diced tomatoes. mix and saute tomatoes for 2 minutes.
- Then add 1.5 cups chopped mixed veggies like french beans, carrots, capsicum, brinjal, pumpkin and 1 medium to large drumstick. saute 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 well.
- Cover the pan with a lid and cook the veggies on medium-low to medium flame 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 8 to 9 minutes on low to medium flame.
making sambar rice
- When the veggies are cooked well, then add the lightly mashed dal and rice.
- Mix everything very well. if you want a more liquid consistency in sambar rice then add some hot water at this step and then mix well.
- Then add 1 tablespoon ghee. Ghee can be skipped if you want.
- Mix again. Check the taste and add more salt if required.
making tempering for sambar rice
- 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 tempering mixture on the sambar rice. mix very well.
- Serve sambar sadam plain or you can accompany with a side veggie dish, curd, pickle or appalam (papaddums). You can also dot with some ghee while serving.
Can I get some receipes for diabetic
there are some recipe for diabetics but i have not made any category. will try to add a category in some time.
Hi dassana,
If it’s possible, could you add a section of ‘Latest recipes’ (with a stock of say, 50 last additions)?
Usually the latest ones appear on home page, but only two at a time. And as soon as you post a newer one, the last one disappears. So if someone misses to check out in that time, they might miss the new additions.
Just a broad suggestion, but you may see as what would be best suited.
Thanks
Welcome Ruchi. Thanks for giving this suggestion. I will think about what to do about this.
Very nice,a wholesome meal. Must try! tasty !!! Yummy!!!!
Thanks Ashana
Your “Search” icon is NOT easy to find. It should be available on EVERY page so we can get the best out of your site.
Maya, will try to find some solution for search icon. currently if you click on Menu then search is the first option.
How long should i cook rice and pulses for if not using a pressure cooker?
soak both rice and lentils for about 30 minutes to an hour. then cook them in about 4 cups of water for 30 to 40 minutes or more. timing will depend on the quality of lentils. rice will get cooked fast but lentils will take time. both rice and the lentils should be cooked well. rice will be more softer and the dal should have mushy like consistency.
Sambar Rice; This much easy!
Thanks Ravichanran for giving 5 star rating.