Instantpot Sambar

I specifically prepared this post for my hubby dear, as he wanted to cook sambar on a special day using Instant pot (electric pressure cooker). He made sambar using white pumpkin (200 gm) and tomato (2 nos). 

This is a step by step procedure and sure it will help anyone to cook sambar easily. 

Mixed vegetable sambar in Instant pot I made earlier 

My hubby's White pumpkin sambar in Instant pot

1. To pressure cook first:

Toor dal (Thuvaram paruppu) - 3/4 cup. Wash 3 times

sesame oil - 1 tsp

turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

hing (Asafetida)- 1/8 tsp

small garlic - peeled handful (optional)

See that the water stands 1 inch above dal.

Mode : Pressure cooking, high pressure.

Time : 10 minutes

Set it to pressure cooking high and 10 minutes. After it switches off, release pressure manually after 5 minutes or immediately .

2. To pressure cook next:

drumstick - 1 

Thai eggplant (round white or green with seeds) - 3

tomato - 2

green chili - 2

Tamarind - small gooseberry size

raw mango - 1/2 cup sliced

salt - to taste

sambar powder (2 tsp)- sakthi or achi brand or homemade (dissolved in 1/2 cup water or tamarind juice)

To temper:

Shallot -2 

curry leaf - few

ghee - 1 tbsp

mustard - 1 tsp

cumin - 1 tsp

fenugreek (methi seeds) - 1/2 tsp

dry red chilly -2

To garnish:

Jaggery / brown sugar - 1 tsp

cilantro - few

Method:

1.First pressure cook the dal to 10 mins in instantpot. (Oil is added for uniform cooking of dal. I suggest adding garlic in every food we cook, but it is optional only).

2.In the meantime, prepare the vegetables and cut them.

Extract juice from tamarind.

Soak the cut vegetables in tamarind juice and keep aside. (especially for brinjal (egg plant))

3.After the dal is cooked and the pressure subsides, open the cooker lid. (or release manually after 5 mins)

Using a spatula, mash the dal.

4.Start pressure cook setting (high pressure , 3 min). Lid should be open.

Add the items mentioned under part 2 (vegetables and tamarind).

Add sambar powder, salt to dal in cooker.

5.In the meantime prepare the tadka (tempering). Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a small wok.

Add mustard, cumin, methi seeds and wait till mustard crackles.

Then add the slit shallots, / onion , curry leaf.  Saute till shallot gets mild red.

Add to cooker.

Close the lid. Let it cook.

After it switches off itself, release pressure manually after 5 mins or naturally.

After opening, check salt, add jaggery, cilantro, add if required chili powder 1/2 tsp.

Instantpot sambar is ready

Note: other vegetable combinations suitable for sambar are 

white pumpkin  200 gm + tomato 2

Beans 10 + carrot 1 + potato 1 + tomato 1

okra  15 + tomato 2 (little different - saute the okra and do not pressure cook it)

Shallot  15 + tomato 2 (onion sambar)

brinjal 4 + mango 1/2 + drumstick 1+ tomato 2

broad beans (avarakkai)  20 + tomato 2

yellow pumpkin and all native Indian vegetables together 300 gm (Kalyana sambar)

fried vadai sambar

Mullangi (radish 200 gm) sambar 

Spinach (small bunch / 2 cups chopped) sambar 

Bottle gourd 1/2 + tomato 1