Sambar Sadam Recipe | Easy One Pot Sambar Rice

Sambar sadam, also called sambar rice, is rice and toor dal cooked together with vegetables and sambar spices until they come together into one soft, fragrant, deeply satisfying pot. This one pot sambar sadam recipe is made in a pressure cooker, comes together in under 30 minutes, and works beautifully for lunch, dinner, or a lunchbox meal.

Course Main Course

Cuisine South Indian, Tamilnadu

Keyword sambar rice recipe, sambar sadam recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

soak time 30

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 448kcal

Author Puja

Equipment

Ingredients

To Make Sambar Rice

1/2 Cup Rice soaked
1/2 Cup Toor Dal soaked
6 Cups Water
1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds
2 Nos Onion roughly chopped
4 Cloves Garlic pounded, (optional)
1 no Green Chilli
Hing / Asafoetida a pinch
2 Nos Tomato roughly chopped
1 Cup Carrot roughly chopped
1 Cup Beans
1 Cup Green Peas
1 Drumstick
1 Cup Brinjal
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
2 1/4 Tsp Salt or to taste
1 1/2 Tsp Sambar Powder

For Garnish

1 Tbsp Ghee
10-12 Cashew Nuts
Curry Leaves a few
Coriander Leaves handful, chopped

Instructions

Heat oil and ghee in a pressure cooker.
Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, let them splutter.
Add chopped onions, pounded garlic, a chopped green chili, and sauté until the onions turn translucent.
Stir in a pinch of asafoetida powder for the signature sambar aroma.
Add chopped tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until soft.
Add vegetables like carrots, beans, peas, brinjals, and drumsticks.
Now add turmeric powder, salt, and sambar powder. Mix everything well.
Add soaked rice and toor dal, then pour enough water to cover the ingredients.
Stir well, adjust salt, and pressure cook on medium flame for four whistles. Let the pressure release naturally.
Meanwhile, in a small pan, roast cashews in ghee and add curry leaves. So the tadka is ready.
Open the cooker, you’ll find a creamy, delicious sambar rice ready.
Top it up with the roasted cashews, curry leaves, and fresh chopped coriander.
Serve hot with fryums, papad or chips.
Enjoy this comforting, delicious one pot dish!

Notes

Soaking the rice and dal shortens the cook time and gives a softer, creamier result.

Use shallots instead of regular onions for a more authentic flavour.

For the Iyengar-style version, skip the onion and garlic completely.

Do not skip the drumstick if you can find it, it adds an earthy sweetness that is hard to replicate.

The dish thickens as it cools. Loosen with hot water and a stir before serving leftovers.

For lunchbox packing, skip the brinjal and cook slightly thicker.

Nutrition