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.
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
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.