Instant Pot Sambar with Mixed Vegetables
Sambar is a traditional South Indian stew made with lentils, vegetables, and a unique blend of spices called Sambar Powder.
Ingredients
To cook the dal
- ½ cup Toor Dal
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Asafoetida (Hing) a big pinch, optional
- 1 cup Water
To make the Sambar
- 1 tablespoon Ghee / Oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Fenugreek Seeds
- 1 Red Chilli
- few Curry Leaves
- 10 Pearl Onions / Indian Shallots
- 1 & ½ cups Vegetables Pumpkin, Drumstick, Chayote
- ½ teaspoon Kashmiri Chilli Powder
- 1 tablespoon Sambar Powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- Salt as needed
- 1 cup Tamarind Extract
- 1 cup Water
- 1 teaspoon Jaggery optional
- 2 tablespoon Coriander Leaves for garnishing
Instructions
- Wash the toor dal. Add the washed and drained toor dal into the Instant pot, along with turmeric powder, asafoetida and water. Put the lid on.
- Turn the Instant Pot Vent to the Sealing position. Press the pressure cook or manual and set the cooking time to 7 minutes.
- When the cooking is done and the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure manually.
- Open the instant pot lid and check the dal. It should be soft and cooked well. Remove the cooked dal from the Instant Pot and transfer it to a bowl.
- Set the Instant Pot on Saute Mode. Add ghee or oil to the pot. Once hot, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves and red chilli.
- Add the shallots / small onions and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables, salt, turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chilli powder (optional) and sambar powder.
- Mix once. Add tamarind extract and water. Add jaggery and mix it with the water. Now, add the cooked dal. Give a final mix and put the lid on.
- Change to pressure cook mode and pressure cook for 4 minutes. Once cooking is done, release the pressure quickly. Open the lid and give a mix.
- Adjust salt if needed and garnish with coriander leaves. Hot Instant Pot Sambar is ready to be served with your choice of main dish.
Notes
Sambar tastes best when served with White rice, Idli, Dosa, Ven Pongal and Vadai.
Shallots( Indian small pearl onions), Regular Onion, Tomatoes, Green Bell Pepper, Radish, Carrots, Potatoes, Drumstick, Brinjal or eggplant, Chayote, Bottle Gourd, and Pumpkin are a few of the different vegetables that can be added to the Mixed Vegetable Sambar Recipe.
Experiment with various vegetables to add colour, texture, and nutritional diversity to your sambar. Chop them in uniform sizes as bigger chunks, so they don't get mushy upon cooking.
Adjust the quantity of sambar powder based on your spice preference.
Control the thickness of the sambar by adjusting the water content. Some prefer a thicker sambar, while others enjoy a thinner consistency.
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