Sambar Rice | Tamil Style Sambar Sadam ~ Lunch Box Series : LBS#85

Tamil Style Sambar Sadam is a delicious one-pot meal that gets cooked very quickly using a pressure cooker and regular pan. The only laborious task will be the roasting and grinding the sambar powder ingredients freshly. However, if you feel like making the sambar powder freshly in the morning, you can grind this ahead and freeze it. The powder will retain the freshness when you want to use it.

This Sambar Rice is part of the Picnic Hamper I made, the only difference, in this case, being that I packed it for work. Everybody loved it and was surprised that we made all this in the morning. With Hubby dear and boys on a tour, it was only Konda and me at home. So I went to Amma's place to cook this. While I had only the Rava Idli and this Sambar Sadam in mind, Amma had planned to make Moong Dal Halwa as well. It is just like her to get over-enthusiastic on my BM theme and would want to cook so many different things.

In fact, she even suggested I should showcase three different picnic hampers. The idea was fabulous, wish I had planned properly ahead. Anyway, today's picnic idea will be this Sambar Sadam and this reminds me of our picnics that we used to go to when I was in school. On one of the picnics, we got to taste the Bisi Bele Bath, the authentic Karnataka dish. That recipe never fails and we always enjoy it so much whenever we make it. Of course, after that, there have been many versions of Bisi Bele Bath and each one has its place. I think it's a matter of one never been short of an easy one-pot meal.

Today's Lunch Box or rather the Picnic Hamper had:

Rava Idli with Paruppu Podi
Sambar Sadam & Potato Chips
Seasoned Basmati Curd Rice
Moong Dal Halwa

Tamil Style Sambar Sadam

Ingredients Needed:

For the sambar powder

5 Dry Red Chillies
1 tsp Coriander Seeds
1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
1 tbsp Coconut grated
1 tsp Chana Dal
1 tsp Cooking Oil

For the Rice

1 cup Rice
1/2 cup Toor Dal
Salt to taste
4 cups Water

For the Sambar Sadam

2 tbsp Cooking Oil
4 nos Brinjal
1 Carrot
6 French Beans
3/4 cup Shallots Sambar Onions
Curry Leaves Handful
4 no Green Chillies
1/4 tsp Asafoetida Hing
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder
2 tsp Ghee
Cashew Nuts handful
Tamarind lemon size soaked and pulp extracted
Coriander Leaves handful

How to make the Tamil Style Sambar Sadam

Prep Work

Soak the tamarind in water for 10 mins, extract the pulp, and keep it aside.
Wash and chop the vegetables. Soak the brinjal pieces in water.
Wash and soak the rice along with toor dal for 15 mins.

Grinding the Spice powder

Heat a nonstick pan with oil, roast all the ingredients for the fresh sambar powder. Remove when it turns aromatic.
Allow to cool and grind to a smooth powder.

Pressure the Rice

In a pressure cooker, take the rice, dal add 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for 4 whistles.
Once the pressure falls down, remove the lid and add salt, mix well.

Making the Sambar Sadam

In a nonstick pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, Urad dal, and hing.
Then add the slit green chilies, shallots, curry leaves. Saute well.
Next, add the chopped vegetables and simmer for 10 mins.
Add the turmeric powder, 1 cup water, and simmer till all the vegetables are cooked.
Add the tamarind extract, and continue stirring.
Now add the ground sambar powder, and let it get cooked for 5 mins.
Once the vegetables are cooked and masala all mixed with the vegetables, add the cooked rice.
Combine everything well and add hot water if the consistency is very solid.
Rice consistency should be loose and gooey.
Heat a pan with ghee and roast the cashews and pour this on the simmering sambar rice.
Serve hot with potato chips

Recipe

Print Pin

5 from 2 votes

Tamil Style Sambar Sadam

Tamil Style Sambar Sadam is a one pot meal cooked with freshly ground sambar powder ingredients and mixed vegetables. Makes a great picnic meal.

Course Lunch Box

Cuisine Tamil Nadu

By Cook Method Pressure Cooker, Stovetop

Occasion Everyday Meal, Picnic

By Diet Vegetarian

Author Srivalli

Ingredients

For the sambar powder

• 5 nos Dry Red Chillies
• 1 tsp Coriander Seeds
• 1/4 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
• 1 tbsp Coconut grated
• 1 tsp Chana Dal
• 1 tsp Cooking Oil

For the Rice

• 1 cup Rice
• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• Salt to taste
• 4 cups Water

For making the Sambar Sadam

• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 4 nos Brinjal
• 1 Carrot
• 6 French Beans
• 3/4 cup Shallots / Sambar Onions
• Curry Leaves Handful
• 4 no Green Chillies
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida / Hing
• 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
• 1 tsp Urad dal
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 2 tsp Ghee
• Cashew Nuts handful
• Tamarind lemon size soaked and pulp extracted
• Coriander Leaves handful

Instructions

Prep Work

• Soak the tamarind in water for 10 mins, extract the pulp and keep it aside.
• Wash and chop the vegetables. Soak the brinjal pieces in water.
• Wash and soak the rice along with toor dal for 15 mins.

Grinding the Spice powder

• Heat a nonstick pan with oil, roast all the ingredients for the fresh sambar powder. Remove when it turns aromatic.
• Allow to cool and grind to a smooth powder.

Pressure cook the Rice

• In a pressure cooker, take the rice, dal add 4 cups of water. Pressure cook for 4 whistles.
• Once the pressure falls down, remove the lid and add salt, mix well.

Making the Sambar Sadam

• In a nonstick pan, heat the oil, add the mustard seeds, Urad dal, and hing.
• Then add the slit green chilies, shallots, curry leaves. Saute well.
• Next add the chopped vegetables and simmer for 10 mins.
• Add the turmeric powder, 1 cup water and simmer till all the vegetables are cooked.
• Add the tamarind extract, and continue stirring.
• Now add the ground sambar powder, and let it get cooked for 5 mins.
• Once the vegetables are cooked and masala all mixed with the vegetables, add the cooked rice.
• Combine everything well and add hot water if the consistency is very solid.
• The rice consistency should be loose and gooey.
• Heat a pan with ghee and roast the cashews and pour this on the simmering sambar rice.
• Serve hot with potato chips

Tried this recipe?Mention @cooking4all or tag #cooking4all!

Save

Save