Sambar Rice is a simple meal made by cooking sambar with rice and tempered spices. You can serve it with pappad or vadagam on the side. You can add in vegetable of your choice for sambar rice. It is also common in mini meals at restaurants. You can make this at home easily without much effort.
This sambar rice is a full meal in one bowl because it has soft mashed rice mixed with thick vegetable sambar. The texture should be little gooey and not dry, so cook the rice and dal very soft for best results. It is a good option when you want simple and satisfying food for your family.
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About Sambar Rice
Sambar Rice is a traditional one pot dish where cooked rice and dal is mixed with sambar instead of serving separate. It saves time and gives mixed flavour in every spoon. Toor dal gives thickness to the dish, and tamarind adds slight tangy taste which balances the spices and overall taste.
You can add vegetables like carrot, brinjal, beans and small onion. They gives taste and nutrition, also cook the vegetables until soft but do not overcook. The roasted spice powder is important because it gives strong flavor. You can make it by roasting dal and spices, then grinding into coarse powder.
Coconut is added to the spice powder for little sweetness and thickness. At the end, tempering with mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing is added for aroma. The consistency should be little loose because it thickens as it cool down. Add little hot water if it becomes too thick. You can add one teaspoon ghee at the end if needed.
I make this often when I want easy lunch without cooking many dishes. It is simple and filling, and you can eat it hot with crispy appalam.
I have tasted sambar rice in many hotels here and loved most of them.Finally after few tries I have tried to recreate the hotel taste and yes finally it came out so good. Sambar Rice served with a drizzle of ghee, such a bliss. It needs no sidedish at all but some crunchy snack would be apt may be papad or vadam.
Sambar Rice Ingredients
- Rice and toor dal - I have cooked them together till soft. It should be mashable so it blends well with the vegetables.
- Turmeric powder - I just added for color and flavor. You can skip if you don't like.
- Tamarind extract - I used thin extract for tangy flavor. You can adjust little depending on sourness you prefer.
- Vegetables - I chopped and added carrots, beans and brinjal It cooks soft and blends nicely with rice and dal.
- Tomato and small onion - I sautéed both for base taste., it adds mild flavor and taste to the dish.
- Chana dal and urad dal - I roasted these for flavor. It gives thickness to the masala and makes the dish thicker.
- Coriander seeds - I roasted this for aroma and depth. It is important for traditional taste.
- Fenugreek and dried red chilli - I added small amount while roasting. It gives mild bitterness and spice balance.
- Coconut - I roasted and grind it along with spices. It gives slight sweetness and thickness to the sambar mixture.
- Coriander leaves - I have chopped and added at last for fresh taste. It gives nice flavor when mixed hot.
- Mustard seeds, curry leaves and hing - I added these separately for tempering in ghee at the end.
- Oil and ghee - I just added for sauteing vegetables and ghee at the end for rich aroma.
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How to make Sambar Rice Step by Step
1.Dry roast the ingredients(except coconut) listed under 'to roast and grind' until golden brown. Then add coconut and roast until the coconut is dry.
2.Transfer to mixer jar and grind it a coarse mixture, Set aside. Now get ready with your vegetables.
3.Measure rice, dal rinse it well drain water and pressure cook for 5 whistles in low medium flame with mentioned quantity of water.
4.Chop the vegetables roughly and set aside. Once pressure releases, mash the rice well with a ladle.
5.Now in a pan heat oil add small onion saute for 2 minutes, then add tomato saute till it becomes mushy and raw smell leaves.Now add all other vegetables along with turmeric powder. Saute for 2 minutes.
6.Now add 1.5 cups of water cook until the veggies are soft, I pressure cooked for a whistle and then let it boil for a while.Once the veggies are cooked add the spice mixture.
7.Add salt, tamarind extract and let it to boil for a good 10 minutes.
8.Finally add mashed up rice and dal, mix well. Mash it up with the ladle. Add a teaspoon of ghee.
9.Garnish with coriander leaves. In s separate kadai heat ghee, add the items listed under 'to temper' let it crackle then add the tempering to sambar rice, mix well and switch off.
Serve hot immediately!
Expert Tips
- Cook rice and dal soft - I always cook for enough whistles. It should mash easily without lumps.
- Roast spices - Roast till golden and nice smell comes. Do not burn as it will change taste.
- Keep consistency little thin - It thickens with time so keep slightly runny while switching off.
- Add drumstick - You can also add drumstick, I did not have sometimes but it gives very good flavor.
- Tempering at last - Adding tempering in the end gives fresh aroma. I prefer doing this way.
- Stir well while mixing - Mix rice and sambar properly so everything combines evenly.
Serving and Storage
Serve Sambar Rice hot with pappad or vadagam. It tastes best when warm and fresh. Leftover can be stored in refrigerator for two days. While reheating add little water and heat gently. Mix well before serving again.
FAQS
1.Can I skip coconut in spice powder?
Yes you can skip but taste will slightly change. Coconut gives body and mild sweetness.
2.Can I use ready sambar powder?
You can use if in hurry. But freshly roasted spice mix gives better flavour.
3.Why my Sambar Rice becomes thick?
It thickens after cooling. Add little hot water and mix while reheating.
4.Can I add other vegetables?
Yes you can add drumstick, pumpkin or peas. It is flexible recipe.
5.Can I prepare in advance?
Yes you can prepare few hours before serving. Keep little runny so it stays soft later.
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📖 Recipe Card
Sambar Rice Recipe | Sambar Sadam Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup rice
- ¼ cup toor dal
- 2 and ¼ cups water
- a generous pinch turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon thin tamarind extract
- 2 teaspoon oil
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- coriander leaves chopped for garnish
- salt to taste
Vegetables:
- 2 nos carrot
- 3 small brinjals
- 1 medium sized tomato
- 7 nos small onion
- 8 nos beans
To roast and grind:
- 1.5 teaspoon chana dal
- 1 teaspoon urad dal
- 1.5 teaspoon coriander seeds
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreen
- 2 nos dried red chilli
- 2 tablespoon coconut
To temper:
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- a small sprig of curry leaves
- 1 no dried red chilli
- a tiny pinch hing
- 1 teaspoon ghee
Instructions
- Dry roast the ingredients (except coconut) listed under 'to roast and grind' until golden brown.
- Then add coconut and roast until the coconut is dry.
- Transfer to mixer jar and grind it a coarse mixture. Set aside. Now get ready with your vegetables.
- Measure rice , dal rinse it well drain water and pressure cook for 5 whistles with mentioned quantity of water.
- Chop the vegetables roughly and set aside. Once pressure releases, mash the rice with a laddle.
- Now in a pan heat oil add small onion saute for 2 mins, then add tomato saute till it becomes mushy and raw smell leaves.
- Now add all other vegetables along with turmeric powder. Saute for 2 mins.
- Now add 1.5 cups of water cook until the veggies are soft, I pressure cooked for a whistle and then let it boil for a while.
- Once the veggies are cooked add the spice mixture.
- Add salt, tamarind extract and let it to boil for a good 5-7 mins.
- Finally add mashed up rice and dal, mix well. Add a teaspoon of ghee. Garnish with coriander leaves.
- In a separate kadai heat ghee, add the items listed under 'to temper' add the tempering to the sambar rice, mix well and switch off. Serve & Enjoy Sambar Rice!
Notes
- Cook rice and dal soft - I always cook for enough whistles. It should mash easily without lumps.
- Roast spices - Roast till golden and nice smell comes. Do not burn as it will change taste.
- Keep consistency little thin - It thickens with time so keep slightly runny while switching off.
- Add drumstick - You can also add drumstick, I did not have sometimes but it gives very good flavor.
- Tempering at last - Adding tempering in the end gives fresh aroma. I prefer doing this way.
- Stir well while mixing - Mix rice and sambar properly so everything combines evenly.
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