Sambar Rice
This one-pot sambar rice uses a mix of dals and vegetables for a high-protein, hearty lunch. Everything cooks together in the pressure cooker for a simple, thick, comforting bowl.
Ingredients
- Toor dal (raw), 30 g
- Yellow split moong dal (raw), 30 g
- Masoor dal (raw), 30 g
- Rice (raw), 67 g
- Edamame (cooked), 80 g
- Tomato, 120 g, chopped
- Onion, 60 g, chopped
- Carrot, 60 g, chopped
- Drumstick pods, 100 g, cut into 2-inch pieces
- Cluster beans, 110 g, chopped
- Radish, 50 g, chopped
- Bottle gourd, 120 g, chopped
- Spinach, 25 g
- Drumstick leaves, 40 g
- Garlic, 9 g, smashed
- Green chili, 5 g, slit
- Turmeric powder, 0.75 g
- Red chili powder, 2.7 g
- Coriander powder, 1 g
- Tamarind juice, 15 g
- Salt, to taste
- Water, 3 cups for thick or 3 1/2 cups for looser (adjust as needed)
- Coriander leaves, for garnish
Tempering:
- Oil, 3/4 tsp
- Mustard seeds, 1/8 tsp
- Cumin seeds, 1/8 tsp
- Curry leaves, few
- Hing (asafoetida), pinch
1. One-pot pressure cook
- Rinse the rice and all three dals together until the water runs clear.
- Add rice, dals, tomato, onion, carrot, drumstick pods, cluster beans, radish, bottle gourd, garlic, green chili, turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder, salt, and water to the cooker.
- Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles on medium heat, then let the pressure release naturally.
2. Finish the sambar rice
- Open the cooker and mash gently to a porridge-like consistency.
- Stir in tamarind juice, spinach, and drumstick leaves. Simmer 3-4 minutes on low–medium heat.
- Boil the frozen edamame on medium heat for 3–4 minutes, drain well, then add it to the sambar rice and warm on low heat for 1 minute.
3. Temper and serve
- Heat oil in a small tadka pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, and hing until they sizzle.
- Pour the tempering over the sambar rice, garnish with coriander leaves, and serve hot.
Chef's Notes
- If you want a looser consistency, stir in hot water after pressure cooking.
- Add tamarind gradually and taste; the sourness varies by brand.
Rice baseline: This recipe uses 67 g raw rice (about 1/3 cup).
Calories tracking
| Item | Serving | kcal | Fat (g) | Carb (g) | Prot (g) | Fiber (g) | Sug (g) | Chol (mg) | Sod. (mg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toor dal (raw) | 30 g | 103 | 0.5 | 18.6 | 6.6 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 0 | 2 |
| Yellow split moong dal (raw) | 30 g | 87 | 0.3 | 15.6 | 6.6 | 2.4 | 1.1 | 0 | 2 |
| Masoor dal (raw) | 30 g | 102 | 0.4 | 17.6 | 7.6 | 4.0 | 1.2 | 0 | 2 |
| Rice (raw) | 67 g | 257 | 0.5 | 58.0 | 5.0 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Edamame (cooked) | 80 g | 100 | 4.0 | 8.0 | 9.0 | 4.0 | 2.0 | 0 | 10 |
| Tomato | 120 g | 22 | 0.3 | 4.8 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 0 | 5 |
| Onion | 60 g | 22 | 0.1 | 5.1 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.4 | 0 | 2 |
| Carrot | 60 g | 25 | 0.1 | 6.0 | 0.6 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 0 | 25 |
| Drumstick pods | 100 g | 38 | 0.1 | 8.6 | 2.2 | 3.2 | 1.6 | 0 | 20 |
| Cluster beans | 110 g | 80 | 0.2 | 14.0 | 4.0 | 6.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 10 |
| Radish | 50 g | 8 | 0.1 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0 | 8 |
| Bottle gourd | 120 g | 20 | 0.1 | 4.3 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0 | 2 |
| Spinach | 25 g | 15 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 1.8 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 0 | 40 |
| Drumstick leaves | 40 g | 30 | 0.5 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0 | 15 |
| Garlic | 9 g | 14 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0 | 1 |
| Green chili | 5 g | 3 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0 | 1 |
| Turmeric powder | 0.75 g | 3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Red chili powder | 2.7 g | 8 | 0.4 | 1.4 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.3 | 0 | 3 |
| Coriander powder | 1 g | 3 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tamarind juice | 15 g | 20 | 0.1 | 5.0 | 0.2 | 1.0 | 3.3 | 0 | 3 |
| Oil | 3/4 tsp | 30 | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mustard seeds | 1/8 tsp | 2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cumin seeds | 1/8 tsp | 1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 |
| Curry leaves | few | 3 | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0 | 1 |
| Hing (asafoetida) | pinch | 1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Salt | to taste | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total (approx) | 997 | 12.1 | 181.5 | 51.5 | 38.4 | 27.8 | 0 | 156 |