Although I realise the actual version requires coconut and freshly ground and powdered spices, etc, that’s not a very weeknight-friendly recipe. I have tried that a couple of times but the sheer time it takes to peel the shallots itself is a turn-off.
Anyway, here’s how I make mine, the easy, quick version of Sambar Sadam made in a pressure cooker.
Bisi Bele Bath / Sambar Sadam Recipe
Serves 2-3
Preparation time – 15 mins
Special utensil needed – pressure cookerWhat I Use:
Rice – 1.5 cups
I use ponni or basmati but the regular rice you use every day will work just fine.
Toor / tuvar / kandi pappu / pigeon peas – 3/4 to 1 cup
Tamarind – a marble-sized ball or 2 tbsp tamarind paste
Chopped vegetables – 1.5 cups
You can use any vegetables you have in hand like French beans, carrots, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, drumstick, capsicum, etc.
Shallots – 6 (optional)
Green chillies – 2
Sambar powder – 1.5 to 2 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida / Perungayam – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinchFor tempering:
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Shallots – 2, sliced thin (optional)How to make Sambar Sadam in a Pressure Cooker:
1. Add 1 cup warm water to the tamarind and extract juice. Discard pulp. If using tamarind paste, dissolve it in 1 cup water without any lumps.
2. Heat oil for tempering in the pressure cooker pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Fry the shallots for tempering, if using, until golden brown. Then add the hing, green chillies, turmeric and sambar powder and mix well for 10 seconds.
3. Add all the ingredients and sufficient water. To cook the rice I use every day, the ratio of rice:water is 1:2. Since I have used 1.5 cups rice here, I need 3 cups water in total. Tamarind juice is in 1 cup water so I added approximately 2 more cups of water to the cooker. Its fine if its slightly more than that.
4. Cook for 3 whistles. If you like your sambar sadam a bit mushy, then cook for 4 whistles and make sure you add slightly more water than specified above.
5. Wait till pressure leaves and serve hot with vadaam / chips / appalam and raita / curd.
Making your sambar sadam t'nite. I'm confident its going to come out simply yum seeing all the good comments on here. Thanks Nags, I am a new Mom and anything that saves time helps. So did you ever update that site you were mentioning above?
Anon – didn't get which website you are talking about.. I hope the sambar sadam recipe works for you like it did for many others, and me of course 🙂
GOd bless you for giving such an easy version of this wonderful dish!
Thanks Anon. So glad you find the sambar sadam recipe useful 🙂
Amazing recipe… Tried it out and was outstanding!!!
Thanks a ton! I'm a big fan of the pressure cooker and this worked out perfectly…
Will never forget this recipe ever!!!
Praveen – so sweet of you to leave such a nice comment 🙂 Thanks!!
Anon – Step 3, where I've mentioned to add all other ingredients, that's when the toor dal goes into the easy quick bisi bele bath recipe 🙂 Hope you try it!
Hi,
Your BBB receipe is simple & quick. Have a question. you have not mentioned when to add the toor dhal? was it suppose to go along with the rice? or did I miss something
Thanks
Nice easy recipe. Thanks for sharing. I usually cook the veggies separately as I’m afraid that if I put it in the cooker along with dal and rice, it gets too mushy. But, in your pics, the veggies don’t look mushy at all ! Maybe its just in my head..!
Nags, I love rice with sambar, but sambar sadam has never been a favourite. Your pictures almost tempt me to try it out:)