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Sambar rice recipe | Sambar sadam recipe

By swasthi , on August 20, 2019, 37 Comments, Jump to Recipe

Sambar rice also known as sambar sadam is one of the everyday foods from the Tamil cuisine. It is nothing but Sambar and rice cooked together as a quick fix to a meal. There are so many ways sambar rice can be made, this may not be a authentic style of making sambar sadam. But definitely yields one of the best & delicious sambar rice. It is made on the same lines as the Bisi bele bath from karnataka cuisine & Vegetable Masala Khichdi.

sambar rice sambar sadam

Sambar rice is a dish made with lentils, rice, mixed vegetables, spices & herbs.  It is a delicious, flavorful & protein packed dish that is also healthy & nutrient dense. Sambar rice is best served with papad & some buttermilk or lassi.

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Other similar popular Variety Rice recipes from south Indian cuisine are these
Tomato rice
Ghee rice
Ven pongal

To make this sambar rice, I have used brown rice and a small quantity of white rice along with dal. This is the way I make this recipe at home and sometimes like to replace brown rice with foxtail millets. (thinai arisi in tamil, korra biyyam in telugu, navanakki in kannada.)

However you can also make this using only white rice. If you are looking for ideas to include brown rice or millets to your diet but do not like the taste, then you may like this sambar sadam. The dish turns out to be super delicious with lots of aroma that comes from the sambar powder.

I would not say it is very quick to make sambar rice as it is not a one pot dish. But it does take less time than making an elaborate meal. You can also make this sambar sadam when you have guest home. This sambar rice, curd rice, some papads, Rava kesari & these mysore bonda will go well in your special menu.

For this recipe I have used fresh made sambhar powder which I have shared below, but you can also use a ready made one or make from this Sambar masala powder recipe.

Similar recipes you may like to check
Veg pulao
Thakkali sadam
Tomato bath
Vangi bath

Preparation for sambar rice or sambar sadam

1. Add ½ cup rice and ¼ cup plus 2 tbsp dal to a pressure cooker. I have used a mix of toor and moong dal. Wash and soak for about 15 minutes. Cook with 2 cups water for 1 to 2 whistles on a medium flame. You can use a combination of white and brown rice or white rice and fox tail millet. If using millets, soak at least for 2 hours.

pressure cook rice for sambar rice recipe

2. If using brown rice, the texture turns out perfect even when the dal and rice are cooked together. Since brown rice doesn’t turn very mushy but the dal turns very soft and hence adds a smooth texture to the sambar rice. Mash the dal and rice. Dal must become soft and blend well with rice.

soft cooked dal rice for sambar rice recipe

3. If you have ready sambar powder, skip this one and the next 2 steps. But i suggest making this powder to get a very flavorful dish. Dry roast the ingredients for making the powder. You will find double the quantity of ingredients as i doubled it to make this recipe twice. First roast dals with red chilies until lightly golden, add coriander seeds. When they get roasted, add methi, cumin. Switch off the stove when you begin to smell the methi good.

roasting ingredients for sambar rice recipe

4. Add coconut and toss in the hot pan for a while. You can also skip coconut if you do not have.

5. Cool these and powder finely.

sambar rice recipe 05
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How to make sambar rice or sambar sadam

6. Heat ghee or oil in a pan. Add red chili, mustard and cumin. When they splutter add curry leaves and hing. When the curry leaves turn crisp, i set aside half of this seasoning to use at the last step.

Heat ghee or oil in a pan

7. Add shallots, carrots, beans and drumsticks. If you are short of time skip drumsticks since they lot of time to cook. Chayote/ chow chow or mullangi can also be used.

Add shallots, carrots, beans and drumsticks

8. Saute well for 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and turmeric. You can also skip tomatoes. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes.

addition of tomatoes to make sambar rice
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9. Add 1 cup water and cook until the veggies are soft cooked.

cooking veggies until soft in sambar rice recipe

10. Make sure the veggies are cooked completely before adding tamarind. so check the drumstick & then proceed.

addition of tamarind paste in sambar sadam

11. Add salt.

addition of salt to make sambar sadam recipe

12. Add the sambar powder.

addition of ground powder to make sambar sadam recipe

13. Simmer well for few minutes until the spice powder begins to smell good. Check if there is enough sour, salt and spice. You can adjust now.

adjusting spice sour sweet in sambar sadam
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14. Add the mashed rice.

addition fos oft mashed rice dal in sambar sadam recipe

15. Stir well and simmer until dal rice blends with the sambar masala. Add more hot water if needed to bring it to a consistency.

simmering sambhar masala to make sambar sadam

16. Add the tempering that was set aside. This doesn’t give any special tadka flavor but i still prefer.

ghee tadka with chili mustard for sambar sadam recipe
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Serve sambar rice with papad and ghee.

south indian sambar rice served with papd ghee

Here are some tips that may be of help to you.

Tips to make sambar rice

  1. Sambar rice is usually made with short grain white rice. For a healthier option use whole grains like brown rice, millets, steel cut oats & quinoa. It is always healthy to soak the whole grains for few hours as the nutrients from soaked grains are better absorbed by our body.
  2. I always use 2 to 3 kinds of lentils to make any dal dish like dal fry, dal tadka, sambar or kootu. Different kinds of lentils provide different nutrients to the body so I make sure to use at least 2 kinds of lentils. For this sambar rice, I use toor dal & moong dal. You can also use only toor dal.
  3. To make the sambar rice I have used carrots, shallots, tomatoes & drumsticks. You can also use peas & beans. Use the veggies of your choice. If using drumstick then chop them to 1 inch sized pieces otherwise they will take lot of time to cook.
  4. I have also shared the recipe of sambar powder just enough for the recipe. However you can also use your own sambar powder or store bought powder. Just make sure you use a good flavorful sambar powder as this the key ingredient which is going to spice up your sambar rice.
  5. Tempering the spices in ghee brings in a unique aroma to the sambar rice. If you don’t eat ghee then you can also use oil.
  6. If you have some precooked rice & dal then you can simply transform that to sambar rice.

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Sambar rice or sambar sadam recipe

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sambar rice recipe

Sambar rice

Simple sambar rice known as sambar sadam in tamil. Sambar rice is a flavorful dish made with rice, lentils, sambar powder & vegetables.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card

Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings2
AuthorSwasthi

Ingredients (1 cup = 240ml )

Ingredients for sambar rice

  • ¼ cup toor dal plus 2 tbsps or 6 tbsp (can use little moong dal)
  • ½ cup rice brown rice white rice or millets
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 1 pinch asafoetida or hing
  • 1½ tbsp ghee or oil as needed
  • 2 pinches turmeric or haldi
  • 8 to 10 Shallots or 1 medium onion cubed
  • 1 drumstick small or half (cut to 2 inch pieces)
  • 1 carrot sliced or cubed
  • 1 tomato medium, chopped
  • tamarind Small lemon sized
  • salt as needed

Sambar powder (or 1 to 1½ tsp any sambar powder)

  • ½ tsp chana dal or bengal gram
  • ½ tsp urad dal or skinned black gram
  • 1 red chilies
  • ½ tsp cumin or jeera
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • ¾ tbsp coconut fresh or dry
  • ¼ tsp methi seeds or fenugreek seeds
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Instructions

Make sambar powder or use any ready made

  • You can skip this step if you have sambar powder ready. To make the powder, heat a pan and dry roast urad dal, chana dal and red chilies on a medium flame until lightly golden. Meanwhile if you see the red chilies turn crisp you can set them aside.
  • Then add coriander seeds and roast till golden. Then quickly add cumin or jeera. When they smell good remove to a plate. Then add methi seeds & roast. When the methi seeds begin to smell good & turn deep golden, turn off the stove.
  • Cool all of these and make a fine powder in blender jar. For this recipe use only half of this powder.

Preparation to make sambar rice

  • Wash rice and dal together in a bowl or directly in the cooker. Then pour 2 cups of water & pressure cook them together on a medium flame. If cooking in a bowl cook for 3 whistles. If cooking in the cooker directly, then cook for 2 whistles. 
  • When the pressure releases naturally remove the rice & dal & slightly mash them.
  • Heat ghee in a pan. Add cumin, mustard, red chilli & curry leaves. When they splutter and curry leaves turn crisp, add hing.
  • Next add veggies and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Saute tomatoes along with turmeric for 3 minutes.
  • Pour 1 cup water and cook the vegetables until soft.
  • Take some hot water from the pan to a bowl and soak tamarind in it.
  • Mash the soaked tamarind when it softens and remove the pulp. You can also filter the tamarind water.

How to make sambar rice

  • Check if the vegetables are cooked especially the drumstick. When the veggies are almost cooked, pour this tamarind water, salt and sambar powder to the boiling veggies. 
  • Cook until it begins to smell good for about 3 to 4 minutes. Next add the mashed rice and dal.
  • Stir well to blend the rice & dal in cooked veggies. Check the salt and spice
  • If needed add more water to bring to consistency. When it begins to bubble turn off the stove.
  • Serve sambar rice hot with papad or pickle.

Optional tempering

  • If you prefer you can also do a additional tempering by heating another tbsp of ghee in a small tadka pan. Add a pinch of mustard, 1 broken chilli & curry leaves. When the leaves turn crisp, add hing & pour this to the sambar rice.
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Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.

For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.

NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)

Nutrition Facts
Sambar rice
Amount Per Serving
Calories 549 Calories from Fat 144
% Daily Value*
Fat 16g25%
Saturated Fat 8g50%
Cholesterol 63mg21%
Sodium 658mg29%
Potassium 949mg27%
Carbohydrates 81g27%
Fiber 14g58%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 20g40%
Vitamin A 475IU10%
Vitamin C 65.5mg79%
Calcium 87mg9%
Iron 5.4mg30%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Tried this recipe?Mention @SwasthisRecipes or tag #swasthisrecipes!

© Swasthi’s Recipes

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About swasthi

I’m Swasthi shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthis recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills.
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Comments

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  2. Gangka says

    January 31, 2020

    5 stars
    Love this recipe. First time made it and the taste was superb. Thank you Swasthi. Please bring in more recipes. Would like to request for gongura Annam recipe. Thanks again. 😊

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      February 3, 2020

      Hi Gangka,
      You are welcome. Thank you so much! Glad you liked it. Yes I will try to share gongura rice.

      Reply
  3. Priya Kumar says

    January 3, 2020

    5 stars
    I have tried this today. Extraordinary taste. All appreciated me for this recipe

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      January 5, 2020

      Thank you so much Priya,
      Glad you liked it!

      Reply
  4. Ishraque says

    June 19, 2019

    4 stars
    Tried it … loved it . Thank you!
    You are my savior when my parents are out of time. I’ve always come to your recipes to fend for myself and I have always enjoyed the results !

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 23, 2019

      Welcome Ishraque,
      Glad to know your sambar rice came out good. Thank you. Happy to know the recipes are helpful.
      🙂

      Reply
  5. Prasanna ganachari says

    May 24, 2019

    5 stars
    Hi Swasthi, I have tried your sambar rice recipe today and it came really well.. But in that you didn’t mention anything about adding red chilli powder.. I did it… It gave nice colour too…

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 24, 2019

      Hello Prasanna,
      Thanks for rating the recipe. Glad your sambar rice turned out good. I didn’t use chilli powder since my kids cannot eat spicy food.I will update it in the recipe.Thanks again.
      🙂

      Reply
  6. Nancy Pinto says

    September 18, 2018

    5 stars
    It looks tempting. By the way how much methi shd I use. Will try this weekend

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 18, 2018

      Hi Nancy,
      Thank you. You can use 1/4 tsp methi seeds. Thanks for the mention I will update.

      Reply
  7. Moumita Mou says

    June 11, 2018

    🙂

    Reply
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  9. Suprita says

    June 9, 2018

    5 stars
    Yummy it turned out very delicious

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 9, 2018

      Thank you suprita

      Reply
  10. Deepti Jayakumar says

    May 7, 2018

    It turned out really well ..! My Father in law was all praises…! Thanks for the recipe 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 7, 2018

      You are welcome Deepti
      Thanks for the comment. It made me happy
      🙂

      Reply
      • Aishwarya says

        September 8, 2019

        I tried my husband says that very nice tast thanl u saraswathy

        Reply
        • swasthi says

          September 17, 2019

          Welcome Aishwarya

          Reply
  11. Sarada says

    April 19, 2018

    5 stars
    Madam thanks a lot my daughter loved it. She is 2.7 years old. I was shocked looking at her eating sambar.

    Reply
  12. Rheena says

    September 25, 2017

    5 stars
    This turned out superb.. TQ!

    Reply
  13. Jangy says

    May 21, 2017

    5 stars
    My goal is to learn how to cook 1 vegetarian dish per month and this one was delicious and very filling. I’ll be saving this recipe to make it during autumn or winter though. It’ll be perfect for those chilly days. Thanks so much!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      May 24, 2017

      Welcome Jangy
      Thanks for trying and sharing the outcome.

      Reply
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  15. Navya says

    April 16, 2017

    5 stars
    I cannot stop commenting, coz it turned out really well. Simply superb. Thanks for posting such a tasty recpie. I recommend this for beginers.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      April 19, 2017

      Welcome Navya
      So glad to know you like it. Thanks for writing

      Reply
  16. Aneesa says

    November 24, 2016

    5 stars
    This is really very tasty recipe, I prepared last month my family liked it very much, everyone requesting me to prepare it again, I am going to prepare tomorrow. Thank u swasthi for such a tasty recipe..?

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 25, 2016

      Welcome Aneesa
      Glad to know your family liked it. Thanks for trying.
      Have a great day!!

      Reply
  17. Shruti says

    November 18, 2016

    5 stars
    Great recipe…I tried it with broken wheat n it turned out very well….Thanks:)

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      November 19, 2016

      welcome Shruti
      thanks for sharing your tip of making with broken wheat. I will surely try

      Reply
  18. Tanusri sarkar says

    August 16, 2016

    Sooo delicious and very beautiful color it has…..

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      August 18, 2016

      Thank you

      Reply
  19. Sahana says

    July 10, 2016

    5 stars
    Thank u for the recipe. It was very delicious and got family’s applause too.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      July 13, 2016

      Welcome Sahana
      so glad to know you are applaused
      🙂
      Thank you

      Reply
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  21. John B says

    June 5, 2016

    This sounds really delicious, thank you for sharing it.

    BTW, how much turmeric did you use?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      June 5, 2016

      Hi John
      You are welcome. YOu can use about 2 pinches of turmeric. Thanks for the mention . I will update it

      Reply
  22. Maria Nasir says

    October 18, 2015

    So delicious and comforting! Perfect for this changing weather 🙂

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      October 18, 2015

      Thanks Maria

      Reply
  23. Nikhitha says

    September 30, 2015

    5 stars
    Just few days back tasted this in swagath grand restaurant in hyd and it is so good.
    I’m planning to prepare this in my home but, don’t know how to prepare exactly now, your recipe guidelines helped me a lot. Thanks a tonne.

    Reply
    • swasthi says

      September 30, 2015

      Welcome Nikhitha

      Reply

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