sambar rice recipe with step by step pics. sambar rice 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 rice 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.

to make sambar rice 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 rice accompanied with a pickle or fresh curd or appalams (papads).

if you are looking for more sambar recipes then do check tiffin sambar, quick vegetable sambar, tomato sambar and varutharacha sambar recipe.

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sambar rice recipe

sambar rice or sambar sadam is an easy to prepare delicious one pot meal. making sambar rice is similar to making bisi bele bath. 

course main course

cuisine south indian, tamil nadu

prep time 10 minutes

cook time 40 minutes

total time 50 minutes

servings 4

rough calories per serving 464 kcal

author dassana amit

ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)

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 for sambar rice

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• ⅓ cup thickly sliced onions or pearl onions or shallots
• 5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta)
• 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 sambar rice

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 3 to 4 dry red chillies (sookhi lal mirch)
• 12 to 15 curry leaves
• 1 generous pinch of asafoetida (hing)

for serving sambar rice

• few teaspoons of ghee (OPTIONAL)

how to make sambar rice recipe

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. add ¼ teaspoon salt, 3 cups water and 1 teaspoon sesame oil.

3. pressure cook for 15 to 16 minutes on medium flame.

4. when the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid and check if the rice and dal are cooked together.

5. 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

1. meanwhile when the rice & dal 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 and keep aside.

cooking veggies for sambar rice

1. 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.

2. add ⅓ cup thickly sliced onions. you can also use pearl onions or shallots.

3. saute for 1 minute on a low to medium flame.

4. then add 5 to 6 curry leaves (kadi patta) and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).

5. saute for a couple of seconds then add ½ cup diced tomatoes. mix and saute tomatoes for 2 minutes.

6. 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.

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 well.

10. 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.

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 8 to 9 minutes on low to medium flame.

making sambar rice

1. when the veggies are cooked well, then add the lightly mashed dal and rice.

2. 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.

3. then add 1 tablespoon ghee. ghee can be skipped if you want.

4. mix again. check the taste and add more salt if required.

making tempering for sambar rice

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 chillies (sookhi lal mirch), 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 tempering mixture on the sambar rice. mix very well.

5. 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 sambar rice.

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how to make sambar rice or sambar sadam recipe:

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 (kadi patta) 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 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. in this recipe, you can also use mysore sambar powder.

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.

d) 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 chillies (sookhi lal mirch), 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 with a side veggie dish, curd, pickle or appalam (papaddums). you can also dot with some ghee while serving sambar rice.

dassana amit

Founder, Designer, Recipe Developer, Food Photographer || MORE ABOUT US

i started vegrecipesofindia.com in feb 2009. it is a pure vegetarian blog and shares recipes with step by step photos that will help you to make delicious and tasty vegetarian food easily.

i am passionate about cooking from childhood and learnt cooking from my elders. having a home science degree greatly enhanced my cooking & baking skills and took it to a different level which i now share as foolproof recipes. i was trained both in mainstream indian as well as international cuisines.