Sambar Rice

A traditional way of making Sambar rice in pressure cooker in these modern times.

Ingredients:
Rice (ponni) - 1 cup
Tuvar/arhar dal - 1/2 cup
Mixed vegetables:
Drumstick - 1
Brinjals (small) - 2
Beans - 5 to 6
Capsicum (small) - 1
Potato - 1
Carrot - 1
Sambar powder - 2 tbsp. (or as per taste)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)
Onion - 1 (sliced)
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
Tamarind - a small piece
Oil

To temper:
Mustard seeds, whole black gram (husked), cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida powder and curry leaves, oil.

Method:

This cup (aazhaakku) is used for measuring rice, dal and water.

Soak the tuvar dal in 1 cup of water for an hour. Cover and keep aside.

Soak the tamarind in little water and soak for an hour. Cover and keep aside.

Tuvar dal soaked after 1 hour.

Chop the vegetables and keep them ready.

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. Add the onions and saute till they become translucent.

Add the vegetables and saute till they become soft.

Add the tomatoes and saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

Add sambar powder and turmeric powder.

Mix the powders with vegetables.

Wash the rice and add.

Add the soaked dal along with its water.

Crush the tamarind soaked in water. Discard the pulp.

Pour this tamarind water to the vegetable rice dal mixture.

Mix well.

Pour 3 cups of water.

Cover and cook in medium low flame.

I pressure cooked up to 4-5 whistles. Set it aside. When the pressure is released, remove the weight (should be easy to remove and no steam should appear while removing).

For the tempering, heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, black gram and fenugreek seeds.

When the mustard seeds start to crackle, add curry leaves and sprinkle asafoetida powder.

Saute the curry leaves and remove from flame.

Add the tempering to the cooked sambar rice.

Add the coriander leaves.

Add salt.

Mix gently.

We consumed the rice with appalams, coriander-mint thuvaiyal, and yam roast (which I made it later)

Serve hot with appalam or with any of your favourite side dish.

 

Note:

 

Add water according to the quality of rice and dal and the desired 'mushiness'.

It is recommended to add salt after cooking the rice to get the desired 'mushiness'. Because salt makes it tough to cook the rice when added in the initial stages of cooking.

For those who want to be done with it quickly, add masoor dal instead of tuvar dal. But if you still want to stick to using tuvar dal, soak it in hot water for 20-30 minutes.

 

Tamarind paste can also be used instead of tamarind.

 

While serving, you can add a spoon of ghee.

Posted in: Rice