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Simple Instant Pot Sambar

5 from 1 vote
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Equipment

  • Instant Pot or Another Electric Pressure Cooker

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup Toor dal/lentils (split pigeon peas)
  • 2 large shallots or 1 small onion sliced lengthwise
  • 1 large tomato
  • 3 eggplants sliced into 4 (you can use 1.5. Cups of Vegetables of choice i.e - carrots, French beans, Pumpkin, Zucchini, Daikon or a mix of all these)
  • 1 small lemon sized tamarind or 1 tbsp of tamarind paste concentrate
  • 1 tsp oil

Spices

  • 1.5 tsp red chilli powder / Cayenne pepper powder
  • 1 tbsp coriander powder
  • 2 tsp turmeric powder 1 tsp for the lentil and 1 tsp for the vegetables
  • 2 tsp salt

Ingredients for Tempering

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp black/brown mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 20 curry leaves optional
  • 1or 2 dry red chili optional
  • 1/4 tsp asafoetida Skip for whole 30 (refer to notes)

Instructions
 

Cooking the lentils and vegetables

  • Soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water for 15 minutes and squeeze the juice out of it, if using the tamarind concentrate dilute it with 1/2 a cup water.
  • Rinse the lentils till the water runs clear
  • Add the lentils to the instant pot.
  • To the lentils add 1 tsp of turmeric, 1 tsp of cumin seeds, 1/4 tsp Asafoetida ( skip for whole 30) and 1 tsp oil
  • Add 4 cups of water
  • Place the wire rack which comes with the instant pot over the lentils and water. ( Ref to video for steps)
  • In a small steel or pyrex mixing bowl add all the shallots/onion, tomatoes, chopped vegetables of choice
  • Add the tamarind juice or the watered down tamarind water to the vegetables.
  • Add the spices - turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt.
  • Place the mixing bowl with vegetables on the rack which was placed in the instant pot steel insert.
  • Cover the bowl with a steel plate or an oven safe lid.
  • Close the instant pot lid and make sure to close the pressure vent. Select the pressure cook option and set the timer for 15 minutes.
  • Open the lid after the natural pressure release.
  • Take out the bowl of vegetables and the rack. Add the vegetables and the spices into the lentils . And add a cup of water to adjust the consistency if needed.
  • Set the Instant pot on sauté mode and let it come to boil.

Tempering

  • For the tempering which is the final step, add 1 tbsp of oil in a pan.
  • Once the oil is hot add the mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add the cumin seeds, let them bloom.
  • Add the dry red chilli.
  • Add the Asafoetida if using it and switch off the flame ( skip for Whole30)
  • Pro tip - if you have sambar powder on hand add 1 tsp in the hot oil, once the flame is switched off.
  • Finally add the curry leaves right away and give it a stir
  • Once the oil is hot add the tempering to the sambar
  • Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes

Notes
  • Shallots bring in the authentic taste of Sambar
  • Different vegetables bring different flavors, so the taste will vary  depending on the vegetables you use. Some of the popular vegetables which are used in Sambar are as follows
    • Egg plant and drumsticks (moringa)
    • Egg plant, drumsticks and green mango
    • Carrot, French beans
    • Any kind of pumpkin
    • Okra
    • Daikon radish or pink radish
    • Colored pepper
    • Zucchini
    • Or a combination of any of these , some Indian grocery stores even sell a bag of the frozen sambar mixed vegetables
  • Tamarind is available in all Asian, Indian and major grocery stores. If you can't find tamarind, you can sub it with 1/4 cup of lemon juice ( but I strongly recommend using tamarind water or tamarind concentrate. If using lemon juice add it at the end instead of cooking with the vegetables.
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