Vegetable Sambar / South Indian Lentils – Instant Pot with detailed photo and video recipe
Authentic hot Mixed Vegetable Sambar made in Instant Pot (Pressure Cooker). Sambar is primarily a South Indian delicacy, but because of it’s benefits and taste popular all over India. This recipe is to make the popular South Indian Lentils “Sambar” in an instant pot. It is very easy to make sambar and even easier in an instant pot.
I am a SouthIndian, eating sambar with idli and dosa has always been my favorite breakfast growing up. I can eat it anytime, for lunch or dinner. Sambar can also be enjoyed as a soup.
Idli, sambar and chutney is considered one of India’s healthiest breakfasts. It is rich in carbohydrates and proteins. It is a complete meal which includes lentils, vegetables and spices.
Vegetable Sambar is mainly a South Indian Lentil Stew. It is made with lentils, vegetables, tamarind and spices.I make sambar mostly with split pigeon pea (toor or arhar dal), but it can be made with split red lentils (masoor dal) as well.
One of the main ingredients of Sambar is sambar powder which gives it the distinctive taste. I use the MTR brand sambar powder.
If you don’t have sambar powder, grind these spices to a fine powder –
2 whole red chilies
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp whole black peppers
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Another important ingredient of sambar is tamarind paste. You can use a store brought paste or you can make it at home. To make tamarind paste, soak about 2 tbsp of seedless tamarind in 1/4 cup water and microwave for 30 seconds. It will become soft enough to use
Finally you can add a variety of vegetables when making sambar. I usually add carrots, onions, drumstick and squash. Other options are brinjal and okra. You can vary the vegetables you add to Sambar, to get a different flavor each time.
Vegetable Sambar / South Indian Lentils – Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Oil
- Pinch Turmeric
- 3 tbsp Tamarind Juice
- 1 cup Toor dal
- 1/2 Cup Onion Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Carrots Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Squash Chopped
- 1/2 Cup Radish Chopped
- 1 Drumstick Chopped
- 1 Tomato Chopped
- 1 tbsp Jaggery
- 1 tbsp Sambar masala powder
- Salt
Tempering
- 1 tsp Mustard seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- 2 Garlic
- 4 Green chilies
- Curry leaves
- Hing
- 1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
Instructions
- Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add all the tempering ingredients.
- When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
- Add the chopped tomatoes, carrots, squash, radish, drumsticks and turmeric.
- Add salt and saute for 2 mins
- Add toor dal and 3 cups water to the instant pot.
- Add sambar powder, tamarind juice and jaggery.
- Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode for 10 minutes at high pressure with vent in sealing position.
- When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Stir the sambar so it is mixed well.
- Garnish with cilantro and sambar is ready to be served.
Notes
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How to make Sambar in instant pot with Step by Step :
1. Start the instant pot in sauté mode and heat oil in it. Add all the tempering ingredients.
2. When the mustard seeds start to splutter, add the chopped onions and sauté for 2 minutes.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes, carrots, squash, radish, drumsticks and turmeric.
4. Add salt and saute for 2 mins
5. Add toor dal and 3 cups water to the instant pot.
6. Add sambar powder, tamarind juice and jaggery.
7. Change the instant pot setting to manual or pressure cook mode for 10 minutes at high pressure with vent in sealing position.
8. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally. Stir the sambar so it is mixed well.
9. Garnish with cilantro
10. Sambar is ready to be served.
