If you want to find out what comforting, everyday Indian food tastes like, then you need to try this one pot Sambar Rice or Sambar Sadam ASAP. It’s a tangy, spicy dish that comes together quickly in one pot and will have you licking your fingers clean!
A lot of South Indian households have sambar rice, also commonly called sambar sadam, at least a couple times a week. Sambar rice is Tamil Nadu’s version of the famous bisi bele bath from Karnataka and is a one-pot rice and lentil dish that tastes like pure comfort.
I usually turn to this sambar rice after a busy day or on a Sunday evening when I don’t want to put too much effort in the kitchen but still want something that’s soothing, wholesome, and delicious. And since everything comes together in just one pot, there’s minimal clean-up after too. It’s a total win-win!
My kids love eating sambar rice with my air fryer potato chips, and we adults eat it with a side of cucumber raita, papadums, sliced onions and a lemon wedge. But no matter how you serve it, this is the kind of dish that wins every single time.
Jump to section: One-Pot Sambar Rice
Sambar Rice Ingredients
- Dal – toor dal is the most commonly used lentil in sambar rice, and that’s what I have used. You can use moong, masoor, chana dal or a mix. However, it will change the taste and texture of the dish slightly
- Rice – I have used jeera samba, but you can use any small grain rice variety available to you
- Aromatics and herbs: peeled sambar onions and curry leaves add depth of flavor and a lovely fragrance
- Spices: mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida (hing), turmeric powder, cinnamon powder add flavor, warmth, and color
- Sambar powder: this is a star spice that gives this one pot sambar rice its authentic flavor. If you are outside India, you’ll find it at most Indian stores
- Veggies: tomatoes, chow chow and capsicum for texture, flavor, and nutrition
- Tamarind: soaked in water. Adds tanginess that takes the whole dish several notches higher. You can add lemon juice in a pinch, but the flavor won’t quite be the same
- Oil – I have used cold-pressed sesame oil as it adds a very nice nutty flavor. However, you can replace it with any neutral-flavored oil
- Salt – for seasoning
For tempering
- Ghee – adds richness and a beautiful flavor and aroma. You can replace with a neutral oil with a high smoke point (like peanut, sunflower, vegetable, etc.) if you’re vegan
- Spices: hing, Kashmiri red chilli powder, and cumin seeds add final flavor and color
- Herbs: fresh coriander leaves and lots of curry leaves add freshness and the most delicious finishing touch
Richa’s Top Tips
- Rinse rice and dal really well until the water runs clear to prevent a gummy texture.
- Soaking the rice and dal is not mandatory, but it helps them cook faster and digest better. So I highly recommend this step.
- This recipe is naturally vegetarian and can easily be made vegan by replacing ghee in the tempering with oil.
- Sambar rice thickens as it cools. So keep that mind when adjusting the consistency.
- Cut all the vegetables to a small, even size to help everything cook nice and evenly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! This dish is super customisable and forgiving. Veggies like green peas, bottle gourd, pumpkin, drumstick, carrots, potatoes, etc. all taste amazing in this dish.
Yes, you can. Pressure cook sambar rice on high for 10 minutes and then allow the pressure to release naturally for another 10, before doing a quick release. And your one pot sambar sadam in an Instant Pot is ready!
Storage Tips
- Refrigeration: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. The flavour actually improves by the next day.
- Thickens on cooling: This dish firms up in the fridge. While reheating, add a splash of hot water, mix well, and heat gently.
- Reheat method: Reheat on the stovetop or microwave and stir occasionally for even heating.
- Not freezer-friendly: Rice-based one-pot dishes tend to lose texture when frozen, so this is best enjoyed fresh or refrigerated only.
- Pack-for-lunch tip: Add a little extra ghee before packing—it keeps the rice moist and flavourful until lunchtime.
Serving Ideas
- This dish is traditionally eaten with crispy papad (roasted or fried) on the side and a spoonful of ghee on top. That crunch is everything!
- Plain curd or buttermilk help cool things down, especially if the sambar rice is spicy.
- A simple potato stir-fry makes for a soul-satisfying combination.
This one pot sambar rice is the kind of dish I make when I am craving something simple, homely, but still full of flavor. It’s my go-to dish after busy days. If you try this sambar sadam recipe at home then send me pictures of your recreations over in my Instagram DMs @my_foodstory.
One-Pot Sambar Rice | Sambar Sadam
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil divided
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds rai
- ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
- 1 sprig curry leaves
- ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida hing
- 30 sambar onions peeled
- 2 tomatoes chopped into 1 inch cubes
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 ½ teaspoon sambar powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 3 ½ cups water divided
- ⅓ cup chow chow chopped into 1 inch cubes
- ⅓ cup capsicum chopped into 1 inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons tamarind soaked in 1 ½ tablespoons of water
- ½ cup toor dal soaked for 15 minutes
- ½ cup rice soaked for 15 minutes
Tadka / tempering
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon hing
- 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon coriander leaves
- 1 sprig curry leaves
Instructions
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Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and when they splutter, add hing, curry leaves and saute for a few seconds on low. Add onions, tomatoes, turmeric, sambar & cinnamon powders, salt and saute for a few seconds on low. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil.1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ¼ teaspoon fenugreek seeds, 1 sprig curry leaves, ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida, 30 sambar onions, 2 tomatoes, ½ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 ½ teaspoon sambar powder, ⅛ teaspoon cinnamon powder, 3 ½ cups water, 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
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Add chow chow, capsicum, strain soaked tamarind, add the tamarind water & discard the pulp.⅓ cup chow chow, ⅓ cup capsicum, 2 teaspoons tamarind soaked in 1 ½ tablespoons of water
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Add dal, rice, remaining 1 ½ cups water, 1 teaspoon oil, give a good mix, cover the lid and pressure cook for 10 minutes on low after the first whistle. Let it depressurise by itself. Open the lid and mix well.½ cup toor dal, ½ cup rice
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Heat ghee in a tadka pan, add cumin seeds & once they splutter, add hing, kashmiri chilli powder, coriander leaves, curry leaves, stir for a few seconds and add the tadka to the sambar rice. Mix well and serve.1 tablespoon ghee, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, ⅛ teaspoon hing, 1 teaspoon kashmiri chilli powder, 1 tablespoon coriander leaves, 1 sprig curry leaves
Nutrition
This article was researched and written by Urvi Dalal.
The post One-Pot Sambar Rice | Sambar Sadam appeared first on My Food Story.
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