Sambar rice/ Sambar sadam is one of the delicious and nutritious everyday food made in Tamil Nadu for lunch. Sambar rice is made with rice, toor dal and veggies making the meal a wholesome one. Sambar rice is very easy to make as it involves simple cooking and also demands only everyday ingredients in its making. Everyone makes sambar rice in their own way and this particular recipe is what I have been following for years to get delicious output. for the below recipe many more veggies like chow chow, brinjal, drumstick can also be used in its making but I chose few basic veggies in order to follow the tradition. So lets get to the making!
Was rice and toor dal in water. Soak rice and toor dal together in water for 15 minutes.
After 15 minutes cook rice dal in electric cooker or pressure cooker for 3 to 4 whistles until done. When done mash rice and dal well and keep it aside.
Soak tamarind in ½ cup warm water and extract tamarind juice and keep it aside. Chop veggies and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadai/ pan, add mustard seeds, after it splutters add curry leaves and cubed onions. Saute well and add chopped tomato and saute well. When onion tomato look sauteed add chopped vegetables and saute well.
Now to the veggies add turmeric powder, salt, red chilli powder, sambar powder and coriander powder. Mix well and add tamarind extract. Mix well. Add required amount of water to cook veggies as well. (I used 1 cup water)
Allow the veggies to cook with lid on in medium flame. When the veggies look cooked put the flame to low.
Now to the cooked veggies add mashed dal and rice mixture. Give it a good stir and put off the flame when everything looks combined. Now add little ghee garnish it with chopped cilantro and serve it hot with fryums and pickle.