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square image of sambar served in kadai shaped vessel and stainless steel bowl
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5 from 4 votes

Pressure Cooker Sambar With Masoor dal

Quick & easy one-pot pressure cooker sambar recipe with mixed vegetables and masoor dal! A freezer-friendly sambar recipe!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Course: rice accompaniment, Side Dish
Cuisine: South Indian
Keyword: masoor dal sambar
Servings: 6
Calories: 101kcal
Author: Srividhya G

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;

To Temper

  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp fenugreek seeds reduce as per taste
  • 5 curry leaves
  • ¼ tsp asafoetida

Other ingredients

  • 110 grams onion half of the medium-sized onion chopped
  • 60 grams tomato one big tomato chopped
  • 120 grams sweet potatoes chopped. Approx 1 cup
  • 120 grams zucchini chopped Approx 1 cup
  • 50 grams carrot one carrot
  • Five pieces drumstick
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
  • 1.25 tsp tamarind paste mix it with ½ cup water
  • 1 tbsp sambar powder heaped (mix it with ½ cup of water)
  • ½ tsp jaggery optional
  • 3 cups water divided
  • 1 cup masoor dal rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes, and drained
  • 1 tbsp cilantro fine chopped

Instructions

  • Heat the pressure cooker and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida, and let the mustard seeds splutter.
    preparing the tempering for sambar
  • Then add the onions and cook until the onions turn soft.
    cooking the onions
  • Add all the veggies - tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, drumsticks, and carrots. Add salt and turmeric powder.
    adding the veggies, salt and turmeric
  • Mix all the veggies and add the tamarind water and sambar powder mixed with ½ cup of water. We mix the sambar powder with water to avoid the lumps. Reduce the heat to low. Add one more cup of water, jaggery, salt, and mix.
    adding tamarind and sambar powder
  • Now add the soaked and drained masoor dal.
    adding masoor dal
  • Mix well and add cilantro. Close the pressure cooker lid and increase the heat to medium, and pressure cook for four whistles.
    add cilantro and pressure cook
  • Let the pressure naturally subside and open the pressure cooker. The sambar will be thick like below. At this stage, you can let it cool and then portion it. Freeze the portions when they are at room temperature. If not, add one more cup of water, bring it to a gentle boil, and turn off the heat. That's it; sambar is ready. Serve hot with rice or tiffin items like idli, dosa, pongal, etc.
    cooked masoor dal sambar

Video

Notes

  • This sambar has a thick consistency. You can add extra water as per your consistency preference.
  • If you are not planning to freeze, add entire water before pressure cooking and make the sambar.
  • Adjust salt, sambar powder, and veggies according to your taste.
  • Instead of masoor dal, you can use toor dal or moong dal or a combination of all. I have tried the combination of masoor and toor and masoor, toor and moong. All have come out well. 

Nutrition

Calories: 101kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 609mg | Potassium: 334mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4393IU | Vitamin C: 25mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 2mg