ONE-POT SAMBAR SADAM/RICE (Pressure Cooker/Instant Pot) (2024)

SAMBAR SADAM/RICE -a simple rice, lentil and vegetable risotto like Indian main dish flavored with “sambar powder”, a commonly used south Indian mixed spice powder.

Just one pot (on stove top, stove top pressure cooker or even an electric pressure cooker, the Instant Pot), a few minutes of prepping the ingredients and this delicious one-pot comforting, sumptuous, nutritious and totally vegetarian/plant based meal is something I could enjoy every day!

(Scroll the post to get tips, tricks, substitutions, step-wise instructions; with pictures, as well as a Printable Recipe Card below)

Use store bought sambar powder or homemade sambar masala powder/fresh paste and with a medley of nutritious and filling ingredients, all you will need is only a salad or some chips or crispies on the side to satiate your hunger and palate.

Generally, for our daily meals (lunch/dinner), we eat hot, steamed rice mixed with “sambar”(a south Indian lentil curry flavored with the quintessential spice powder) or any of the other creamy dals or coconut curries with a stir fry vegetable on the side.

Sambar is normally served on the side and also serves as a lovely and spicy gravy to dunk idlis (savory lentil-rice steamed cakes) or dosais (savory lentil-rice crepes) for a delicious south Indian breakfast!

Sometimes, for a one-pot meal I love to make this delicious one too!

Less dishes to wash, satiating and nutritious too!

SAMBAR SADAM/RICE:

This risotto like Indian main rice dish (“sadam” is rice in Tamil) is a popular one-pot rice-lentil dish from Tamilnadu (in southern part of India).

It is a quick fix meal to tide over busy days when you don’t have time to prepare an elaborate healthy meal!

Rice, lentils (either tuvar/split Bengal gram or moong dal/split, skinless mung bean dal), some tamarind juice/paste and vegetables (your favorites; either fresh or even frozen) are cooked together with the spice powder for an instant and fast meal!

This dish has a typical tang to it using freshly squeezed tamarind pulp or if fresh tamarind is unavailable, tamarind paste.

To make it in a jiffy I have used a pressure cooker and even tried making some in an instant pot too!

Just chop vegetables (or use frozen mix) and stir with rice and dal (preferably toor dal/split piegeon peas or even mung bean dal if preferred) along with sambar powder, tamarind pulp/paste and salt.

Pressure cook, temper with mustard seeds, hing and curry leaves, a dollop of fresh homemade/store-boughtghee (avoid if vegan) and enjoy!

You can use any vegetable you have or like – eggplant, potatoes, carrots, onions, green beans, any variety of gourds, cauliflower, drumsticks (moringa) or even zucchini! Adding vegetables just adds to the texture, taste and nutrient value but can be avoided if not preferred.

In the words of one of my favorite chefs Ina Garten: “HOW EASY IS THAT!”

WHAT IS SAMBAR POWDER?

This spicy, aromatic south Indian powder is nothing but a mix of spices which are roasted and ground to a fine powder.

It (either homemade or store bought from any Indian store/online) is used to make sambar which is traditionally eaten with dosas, idlis, rice etc. But if you do not have it or cannot find it, substitute with your favorite garam masala powder or curry powder to make this easy-peasy one-pot Indian rice dish!

Most of the spices are normally available in any Indian pantry and now with the whole world embracing Indian dishes, I am sure in most pantries around the world!

Many of us sometimes reach out to store bought sambar powder but I generally have a large stock of homemade ones (my Mom's recipe) in my freezer!

Sambar powder is used to spice up sambar, sambar rice, rasams (brothy tomato soup like gravy), vegetable curries etc.

(Sometimes, for a fresher, authentic south Indian flavor, we use a freshly ground/blended coconut based masala instead of sambar powder. If you are interested in that, do check out the next section).

HOMEMADE SAMBAR MASALA (with coconut):

Sometimes, we add fresh coconut along with sambar spices to make a special coconut based spice paste which we call in Tamil, "Aruchuvitta Sambar Masala"!

Coconut being the base of many of our dishes (living in the coastal towns of southern India and all that!), I love to make this version of sambar too often.

Adding coconut adds a wonderful flavor to any dish and here too it makes the sambar taste tropical and flavorful!

Basically, we roast the spices with grated coconut, make a paste and then use in place of sambar powder.

If you are interested in making it too, then here we go:

In a pan, roast 1 1/2 teaspoons coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon black pepper corns, 1 teaspoon urad dal (white split lentils), 1 1/2 teaspoons chana dal and a few methi or fenugreek seeds in a teaspoon of oil for a few minutes on low heat, stirring often.

When slightly aromatic, add 2 dry red chilies, 1/2 cup grated coconut (fresh or frozen/thawed) and roast again until the coconut is slightly brown.

Check out the quick video tutorial:

STEP-WISE INSTRUCTIONS TO MAKE SAMBAR SADAM/RICE:

TO PREPARE THE INGREDIENTS FOR SAMBAR SADAM:

Wash rice thoroughly until the water runs clear and drain.

Peel and chop carrots and potatoes.

Dice green beans into ½ inch pieces

Chop cauliflower into small florets.

(As mentioned, you can use a mix of frozen vegetables too)

Wash and peel shallots. If using regular onions, slice or cube them.

Squeeze water from soaked tamarind (if using fresh) and keep aside. Add more water to pulp if you need to add more tamarind water later.

TO MAKE THE SAMBAR RICE IN A PRESSURE COOKER:

Take a pressure cooker/pan and add the rice and vegetables; mix well.

To this, add 1 ½ cups of water (or 2 cups if using uncooked dal added at this stage) and stir to combine.

If you have cooked toor dal, add at this stage along with shallots and sambar powder. Stir in tamarind water or tamarind paste and 1 teaspoon salt or to taste.

I am not adding haldi at this stage as I don’t want my whole cooker to turn yellow!

Mix well. Close the pressure pan and cook for 4 whistles or for 7 minutes after first whistle.

Once the pressure drops, open the pan. Add haldi and more water (approximately ½ to ¾ cup depending upon how thick or thin you want the rice) and give it a good mix.

Adjust seasonings (salt and tamarind) if needed.

Bring to a boil and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring often to avoid rice sticking and burning at the bottom.

TO MAKE SAMBAR SADAM IN INSTANT POT:

Once the rice, vegetables and tamarind water/paste are ready, turn the instant pot to sauté mode.

Once hot, add rice, cooked/uncooked dal, vegetables, onions, tamarind water, haldi, sambar powder (or freshly ground sambar coconut paste as mentioned above), salt and 2 ½ cups of water; give it a good mix.

Switch off the sauté mode and close the pot with the lid.

Put the sealing knob in “seal position”.

Press manual, pressure cook on high for 7 minutes.

After 7 minutes, naturally release the pressure.

Open and add more water if needed and stir to mix well. You need a slightly thick, risotto like consistency here.

Adjust seasonings (salt and tamarind) and consistency. Simmer on sauté for a few minutes.

Prepare the tempering, add and mix well.

TO MAKE THE TEMPERING:

Heat ghee/oil in a small saucepan and once hot add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter and crackle, add dry red chilies, curry leaves and hing powder.

Sauté for a few seconds and immediately add to the simmering sambar sadam/rice!

Garnish with freshly chopped cilantro and serve hot drizzled with more fresh ghee (optional), some fried poppadum, potato chips, boondi (spicy deep fried chickpea balls) and some raita or curds/yogurt on the side!