Sambar rice is a south indian dish similar to Bisibela bath but has a different method of preparation. As the name suggests, it is a mixture of rice and sambar. Sambar is a mainstay in southern cuisine and is popular all over India as well (especially those north Indian celebrities who always make it a point to say that their favorite dish from Tamilnadu is Sambar ;))
Sambar rice is one of my most recent favorite dishes. I came across this recipe online while searching, as usual, for a new recipe to try. This particular one caught my attention because of the way it was prepared. In Bisibela bath, you put all vegetables, along with dal and rice and cook them together. But here in Sambar rice, you prepare the rice and sambar separately and mix them together later (I would suggest doing this right before serving).
Sambar rice always reminds me of my college days when it was served during our industrial visits (those days, huh :)) One good thing about sambar rice is that you don’t need a side dish. It tastes just fine with only chips or pickle. Enjoy this favorite dish by cooking it in your kitchen and as always post your comments
- Rice – 1 cup
- Toor dal – ½ cup
- Tamarind – marble size
- Drumstick – 1 no
- Other vegetables , chopped – ½ cup (carrot, potato, brinjal)
- Shallots – 10 nos
- Tomato, chopped – 1 no
- Sambar powder (sakthi) – ½ tbsp
- Homemade sambar powder – ½ tsp
- Turmeric powder – ⅛ tsp
- Asafetida – ¼ tsp
- Curry leaves – a sprig
- Cilantro, chopped – 2 tbsp
- Red chillies – 3 nos
- Channa dal – 1 tbsp
- Coriander seeds – 1 & ½ tsp
- Fenugreek seeds – ¼ tsp
- Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
- Oil – 1 tbsp
- Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
- Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- Asafetida – ¼ tsp
- Cook the rice. Soak tamarind in water and extract the juice.
- Soak toor dal in water for an hour and pressure cook for 5 whistles. When done mash it and keep aside.
- Heat few drops of oil in a pan and roast the above given ingredients except coconut. Roast until they turn golden brown. Roast coconut separately. Allow them to cool and blend all together to a fine powder.
- Heat a pan with a tbsp of oil and temper the given ingredients. Add shallots and curry leaves. Sauté until onions turn translucent.
- Add tomatoes and fry till they become soft.
- Add the tamarind extract and bring it to boil.
- Now add turmeric powder, sambar powders, asafetida and all the vegetables.
- When the vegetables are cooked. Sprinkle all the ground sambar powder on top slowly, stirring constantly. Switch off the flame- Do not add sambar powder as aheap as it might form lumps. Sprinkle little by little.
- Add the sambar to the cooked rice along with dal and mix well (without breaking the veggies).
- Add 2 tbsp of ghee and garnish with cilantro.
- Enjoy the hot sambar rice with fryums and pickle!
