Sambar Rice (Another Version)

 Sambar rice is one of the tastiest and nutrition rich one pot meal . You get the essential carbohydrates from rice, protein from dal, vitamins and minerals from vegetables, fat from oil/ghee. Earlier I have shared another version of sambar rice recipe, cooking all the ingredients in a single shot in pressure cooker. Please click here for that recipe. This one is slightly a different version. In this, we cook only the rice and dal in the pressure cooker and mix the rice,dal with spices, vegetables . This sambar rice is made with fresh home made sambar masala paste , with minimal ingredients available in your kitchen. Try it, you will like it for sure. It is very filling and you will not feel the hunger for a long time.

Cooking Time: 35 to 40 mintes

Serves : 1 to 2 persons

INGREDIENTS:

FOR SAMBAR MASALA PASTE:

Oil - 2 teaspoon

Channa dal/ kadalai paruppu - 1 tablespoon

Coriander seeds  - 1 teaspoon

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

Black whole pepper - 1/2 teaspoon

Dry red chilli - 6 no.s ( Reduce the chilli, if you want less spicy)

Coconut powder /fresh grated coconut - 1 tablespoon

Water - 1/2 cup for grinding

OTHER INGREDIENTS:

Rice - 1/2 cup 

Toor dal - 1/ 4 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Water - 2.25 cups

Ghee - 2 teaspoon

Mustard - 1 teaspoon

Dry red chilli - 2 no.s

Onion - 1/2 cup chopped ( Preferrably small onions)

Carrot - 1/2 cup chopped

Chayote / chow chow - 1/2 cup chopped

Green peas - 1/4 cup

Garlic pods - 3 no.s

Tamarind extract - 1/4 cup

Salt - as required

Coriander leaves - For garnishing

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

METHOD:

1.  Wash and soak 1/2 cup of basmati rice and 1/4 cup of toor dal in sufficient water for about 30 minutes. Then drain the water and add 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder , required salt and 2.25 cups of water and pressure cook them in high flame for 1 whistle and then sim for 12 minutes. 

2. In a pan, add 2 teaspoon of oil. Now add 1 tablespoon channa dal, 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, 1/2 teaspoon whole black pepper, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 6 no.s of dry red chilli and roast all of them in a low flame, until the colour changes and nice aroma comes. Now swich off the stove and add 1 table spoon of coconut powder to the hot pan and mix well. Now grind them all with 1/2 cup of water to a smooth paste. Your fresh sambar masala paste is ready !

3. Now, in a pan, add 2 teaspoon of ghee. Add 1 teaspoon of mustard, 2 dry red chilli. When it splutters, add 1/2 cup of chopped onion and garlic pods. 

4. Now add 1/2 cup of chopped carrots, 1/2 cup of chopped chayote and 1/4 cup of  green peas. Also a pinch of turmeric and pinch of salt and saute for sometime. Then add tamarind extract water and cover and cook the vegetables , until they are soft. 

5. Once the vegetables are  cooked ,  add the fresh sambar masala paste which you prepared in step 2 and also 1/2 cup of water . Let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. As the masala paste has been already roasted and grinded, no need to cook the masala paste for longer time, as it will lose its fragrance. 

6. Now add the cooked rice and dal. Also add some water to adjust to your desired consistency. Mix the contents well and boil for a minute or two and switch off. Sprinkle some asafoetida powder and garnish with coriander leaves. Sambar saadham is ready to serve. You can serve it with pickle and papad . Sambar sadham taste better, when served hot !

SEE ALSO: Vegetable sambar rice , Bisi bela bath