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Sambar sadam recipe | South Indian sambar rice

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sambar sadamSambar sadam recipe with full video, stepwise pictures. Tamil nadu style sambar sadam, an one pot meal with mixed vegetables, small onions.

When I posted keerai poriyal recipe, the background item ‘sambar sadam’ was catchy to some of you. Special effort from Sharmi to post this recipe for sambar sadam,as she always asked me to post it soon and if I ever not post this now,she would squeeze my neck🤪.I do nothing special,I almost make similar to arachuvitta sambar and mix it with cooked rice and dal,that’s it.

Few points to note in the recipe:

  • Though I have used fresh ground masala, you can use store bought sambar powder or the sambar powder we use on everyday cooking also can be used. Use 1 tbsp of sambar powder.
  • Cook dal and rice separately or together as per your convenience.
  • Asafoetida, ghee plays main role in flavour of this delicious sambar sadam.
  • Cook vegetables, small onions until soft.
  • After adding the gravy, take care not to mash the vegetables.

Sambar Rice

sambar sadam
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3.25 from 4 votes

Sambar sadam recipe

Sambar sadam recipe with full video, stepwise pictures. Tamil nadu style sambar sadam, an one pot meal with mixed vegetables, small onions.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Indian
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 3
Cup measurements

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Rice
  • 1/3 cup Toor dal
  • 1 tsp Tamarind packed
  • Mixed veggies As needed
  • 1/2 cup Shallots/small onion peeled
  • 2 Green chillies
  • 1 Tomato
  • 1/2 tsp Sambar powder ready made
  • 1/4 tsp Turmeric
  • A generous pinch Asafoetida
  • 1 sprig Curry leaves
  • 2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Jaggery
  • Salt as needed

TO ROAST AND GRIND

  • 1 tsp ghee
  • 4 Red chillies long variety
  • 1 tbsp Channa dal
  • 1.5 tsp Coriander seeds
  • 1/8 tsp Fenugreek seeds
  • 2 tbsp Coconut grated

TO TEMPER:

  • 1 tbsp Oil
  • 1/2 tsp Mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
  • 1/8 tsp Asafoetida

Instructions

  • Cook rice and dal, extract tamarind juice and keep aside. I cook rice and dal separately as I do not like rice get mashed too much(which will happen if we cook together rice and dal). So If you want you can cook both together too.
  • Heat kadai and roast to golden brown,the ingredients under ‘To roast and grind table’ with a tsp of ghee/oil except coconut. Roast coconut separately.
  • Cool down and grind to coarse powder or paste with little water and keep a side.
  • Heat kadai and temper with the items given under ‘to temper’ table. Add curry leaves followed by onion,slit green chillies and fry till the onions start to turn golden.
    Add the tomatoes and fry till soft.Add the tamarind extract,bring to boil. Add the turmeric,sambar powder,asafoetida and the chopped veggies.
    When the vegetables get cooked,add jaggery,the ground sambar powder and bring to boil.
    Add the sambar powder gradually while stirring,as there are chances of forming lumps.Add this to the cooked rice.I used a pot shaped pressure cooker for making sambar rice. Add the mashed dal and mix well with out mashing the veggies. Add hot water if its too thick. I just mix under low flame for 2 minutes.Let the sambar rice be in a loose consistency. After cooled down, it tends to get thick,so let the consistency be according to that.Top with 2 tsp ghee and coriander leaves.

Video

Notes

  • I added 1/2 of a  drumstick,1 brinjal,1/2   carrot and 1/2 potato. You can add your choice of veggies.. I like potato the best…
  • While adding the veggies,add the veggie which takes longer time to cook first, followed by the other veggies depending on their cooking time.
  • I usually cut the veggies in to small pieces to ensure easy cooking(except drumstick and brinjal in this case)
  • I have used both the sambar powder and fresh sambar masala. you can use any of one too, adjust the quantity accordingly.
  • If you want to skip the roasting, grinding part, use 1 tbsp store bought sambar powder (or homemade everyday use sambar powder) Just make sure to add generous asafoetida for flavour. 
  • You can temper at the last step too.

Sambar sadam method:

  1. Cook rice and dal for 5 whistles (water for rice 1 & 1/2 cup- water for dal 1 cup).step-1-cook-dal
  2. I usually pressure cook tamarind with little water, kept inside along with dal as shown below.step-2-cooked-dal
  3. Extract tamarind juice and keep aside. Total tamarind juice 3/4 cup. So adjust water accordingly.
  4. I cook rice and dal separately as I do not like rice get mashed too much(which will happen if we cook together rice and dal). So If you want you can cook both together too.Cooked rice
  5. Heat kadai and roast the ingredients under ‘To roast and grind table’ with a tsp of ghee/oil except coconut, to golden brown. Add coconut lastly, roast until dry.Roasted
  6. Cool down and grind to coarse powder or add little water to make paste. Keep a side.
  7. Heat kadai with 1 tbsp oil and temper with 1/2 tsp each mustard, cumin seeds. Add curry leaves followed by onion, slit green chillies and fry till the onions start to turn golden.`fry shallots
  8. In goes tomatoes and fry till soft.Fry tomatoes
  9. Pour in the tamarind extract, bring to boil. Add turmeric, sambar powder (readymade), asafoetida and the chopped veggies. (You can cook vegetables first too)Boil
  10. When the vegetables get cooked, salt, jaggery, the ground sambar spice mix.
    add veggies
  11. Mix well and bring to boil. Add cooked dal, mashed well.Add sambar powder
  12. Add this to the cooked rice. I used a pot shaped pressure cooker for making sambar rice. Mix well without mashing the veggies. Add hot water (salt along to balance) if its too thick. I just mix under low flame for 3-4 minutes.Mix with rice,add dal
  13. Let the sambar rice be in a loose consistency. After cooled down, it tends to get thick, so let the consistency be according to that. Top with 2 tsp ghee and coriander leaves.Garnish

Notes:

  • I added 1/2 of a  drumstick,1 brinjal,1/2   carrot and 1/2 potato. You can add your choice of veggies.. I like potato the best…
  • While adding the veggies,add the veggie which takes longer time to cook first, followed by the other veggies depending on their cooking time.
  • I usually cut the veggies in to small pieces to ensure easy cooking(except drumstick and brinjal in this case)
  • I have used both the sambar powder and fresh sambar masala. you can use any of one too, adjust the quantity accordingly.
  • If you want to skip the roasting, grinding part, use 1 tbsp store bought sambar powder (or homemade everyday use sambar powder) Just make sure to add generous asafoetida for flavour. 
  • You can temper at the last step too. 

Serve hot with simply potato chips(best combo) or any other veggie accompaniment.
How to make south Indian sambar sadam

Reader Interactions

Comments

  11. Sharmi

    I was wondering which sharmi:))
    I too made keerai poriyal and still to draft!
    Nanum sigaporeruku shif pannirulama nu pakuren! near ur house.
    I can't stand this drooling at ur blog pics anymore!!
    lovely is not enoughto describe!

    Reply

  12. Sharmilee! :)

    And adding roasted powder sounds interesting…sure it would enhance the flavour…And thank u so much for finally posting it 🙂 Ilati kandipa SG vanthu adi potirpen 😉

    Reply

  14. jeyashrisuresh

    loved ur version of making sambar rice. Actually i double cook the rice in mine to get a mashed texture.But in this version i can add drumstick which tastes very yumm in sambar rice.Awesome clicks and love the one on the banana leaf

    Reply

  18. Mahi

    hah haa! Tkz for posting the recipe Raji! :))))))
    Its really late here..padam mattum paaththutten.will come see the recipe tomorrow! 😉

    Reply

  35. Laavanya

    Oh I love sambar rice… infact there is a temple here that serves amazing sambar rice as prasaadham and we always relish it.
    I always end up making BBB – must try this sometime instead.

    Reply

  42. Shanavi

    Delicious spread, @ times, I also make ur kinda Prep, But I cook dhal, rice and veggie's together.. Raks, Loved the first click, feels like am in my home..

    Reply

  50. Pavithra

    Absolutely tempting Raji.. u know some times I make extra sambar and make for making this we love this a lot.. with a tsp of ghee and pappad heavenly. I am really missing fresh drumsticks here.. frozen one oh my I dont love it..but now way hah 🙂

    Reply

  51. USHA

    Hi Raks,

    Yummy…love to have it very hot. First i thought its bisibela bath, after reading post came to know its original tamilnadu syle sambar rice…loved it so much.

    Reply

  61. Sudha

    hi raji

    its too tempting and as usual its awesome.can u tel me wat's the difference b/w bisibelabath and sambar sadham or else both are same.

    Reply

  62. Now Serving

    Jum Jore and Pramadham 🙂 I make it the same way but, never have seasone with jeeragam because I associate its unique smell with rasam –
    that is interesting to me –

    Reply

  73. Mahi

    I made Sambar(yup,seperate sambar and white rice) last week,following your recipe without adding MTR Sambar powder!:)

    We liked it a lot! Fresh ground spices always enhance the taste of the food..was a bit lazy to make those powders! 😉 Your posts like rasavangi & sambar made me do that.Thanks for the recipe Raji! :))))

    Reply

  77. An Open Book

    omg i just cant take my eyes off this sambar rice…brings back hostel memories 🙂
    i cant believe i never stumbled upon your page…u have an amazing collection of recipes..shall drop back 2 try out a few..i def know im gonna try this rice for sure:)

    Reply

  81. Athma

    Raks in my Sunday kitchen ventures I tried this dish today. My sincere thanks to u … The dish came out awesomely… I was preparing fr 2 servings so was quite apprehencive hw is it gonna turnout… But ur stepwise guidance shattered all my doubts n resulted in a delicious dish… Love u Raks…

    Reply

  82. Sangee

    Thanks for your sambar rice recipe:) for past these days i dont know the ratio of coriander so i use to add it wrongly. After seeing your recipe it came out well. Me and my kid loved it. My hubby dont like sambar rice so he didnt. Again thanks for your recipe……Thank you.

    Reply

  83. Sree_01

    Hi,
    your sambar samdham looks very good . going to try it now. but i have a doubt that , in pic 8 you are adding cocount milk? what is that white colour you are pouring to rice ?pls reply

    Reply

  86. Veni

    Hello Raji.. your presentation made me try it and it came out perfectly.. Thanks for the recipe..

    But only thing that i have to add extra in this recipe is SALT 🙂 🙂

    Reply

  88. janu

    hi raji..
    Right now i am tasting this sambar sadham (suda suda) which i made it with ur recipe…Very happy 🙂 U rock as always..
    Thanx a lot..

    Reply

  92. Gomathi

    I tried out this recipe.The roasted ingredients gave an extraordinary flavor..especially the grated coconut. To enhance the taste further, you can try adding 2 pieces of cloves while tempering. I am not sure if many will like my suggestion though!

    Reply

  93. Raji

    5 stars
    Tried the sambar rice today. Thought it would be difficult than the one pot I am used to, but it was easier than I imagined. Great hit at home. Thanks Raji.

    Reply

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