Sambar rice

Method

1. Put 25 g seedless dried tamarind in a bowl and pour over 250 ml hot water for tamarind. Soak for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, squeeze and rub the tamarind in the water, then strain; keep all the dark tamarind liquid and discard the fibres.

   Done when: The complete tamarind amount has soaked, the dark liquid has been strained and retained, and only fibrous solids are discarded.

2. Pick over 150 g toor dal and 200 g short grain rice separately. Rinse each 3 to 4 times until the water is much less cloudy. Cover the dal with plenty of fresh water for 20 minutes, then drain both completely. Prepare the measured drumstick pods, cut into 5 cm pieces, carrot, cut into 1.5 cm dice, tomato, chopped and shallots, peeled and sliced while the dal soaks.

   Done when: Rice and dal are separately picked, rinsed until much less cloudy and fully drained, and all vegetables are prepared to their measured forms.

3. Check that the cooker's vent is clear. Add the drained rice and dal, 1000 ml water, 150 g carrot, cut into 1.5 cm dice, 200 g tomato, chopped, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and one-third of the fine salt. Stir and scrape the base clean. Lock the lid, bring to full pressure on medium-high, reduce to low and cook for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and let pressure fall naturally for at least 10 minutes; open only when the pressure indicator has dropped.

   Done when: The rice crushes between two fingers with no firm centre, the toor dal collapses when pressed, and the carrot is soft.

4. Stir the soft rice and dal firmly to break them up. Add 200 g drumstick pods, cut into 5 cm pieces, the strained tamarind liquid, 20 g sambar powder and another one-third of the fine salt. Add the remaining measured hot water for consistency gradually, up to 300 ml total across the recipe, until loose but not watery. Bring to a steady simmer on medium, then reduce to medium-low, cover loosely and cook for 12 minutes. Stir from the base every 2 to 3 minutes so the thick rice does not catch.

   Done when: Drumstick pulp scrapes away easily from the fibrous shell, the raw sharp smell of tamarind is gone, and the mixture settles level after stirring while still holding the vegetables.

5. While the rice simmers, heat 20 g ghee in the tempering pan over medium. Add 1 tsp mustard seeds. When most seeds are crackling, add 1 pinch asafoetida, 1 sprig curry leaves and 2 piece dried red chillies if using. Stand back because fresh curry leaves can spit; stir for 45 seconds.

   Done when: Mustard seeds are crackling, curry leaves have turned glossy and crisp at the edges, and the chilli is fragrant rather than black.

6. Add 100 g shallots, peeled and sliced to the tempering pan. Cook on medium for 6 minutes, stirring often, until soft and golden at the edges. Turn off the heat, carefully scrape the complete tempering into the sambar rice and stir well.

   Done when: Shallots are soft and golden at the edges with no raw onion smell.

7. Simmer the tempered rice uncovered on low for 3 minutes, stirring once from the base. Taste only after it cools on the spoon; adjust with the reserved portion of measured salt if needed.

   Done when: The tempering is distributed throughout and each spoonful contains soft rice, dal and vegetables in a loose sambar-like consistency.

8. Turn off the heat, cover and rest for 5 minutes. Stir before serving; the rice should flow slowly back into place rather than sit like pulao or run like soup. Add only a final measured splash of adjustment water if it tightened while resting.

   Done when: After resting, the rice is cohesive and spoonable, with rice and dal fully soft and the drumstick pieces intact enough to pick up.

Good to know

Diet

Vegetarian

Contains

milk

Eaten at

Lunch, Dinner

Nutrition, per serving

~401 kcal · 14 g protein · 72 g carbs · 6 g fat (approx.)

Keeps

1 day in the fridge