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Serve warm beetroot sambar with brown rice, pickles, and vegetables stir-fry

Beetroot Sambar in Pressure Cooker

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 3 people
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

For pressure cooking
  • 1 cup toor dal (approximately 200g) Rinse in a mesh strainer under cold running water 2-3 times until the water runs clear
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ medium red onion sliced
  • 1 ½ medium tomatoes chopped
  • 1 medium red beetroot skin peeled and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
Others
  • 2 tbsp sambar powder (I used MTR Sambar powder)
  • salt to taste
  • water to adjust consistency
  • a handful of chopped coriander leaves
For Tempering
  • 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil or peanut oil
  • ¼ tsp mustard seeds
  • ¼ tsp cumin seeds
  • a few curry leaves
  • a couple split red chilies

Equipment

  • Pressure Cooker
  • a small pan for tempering spices
  • Ladle

Method
 

  1. Pressure cook: Add rinsed toor dal, sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, diced beetroot, turmeric powder, and water to the pressure cooker. Stir well, cover, and pressure cook over medium heat for 4-5 whistles or until the toor dal is cooked well. Turn off the heat and allow the pressure to release naturally.
  2. Season: once the pressure is released, gently stir the cooked ingredients and turn on the heat again and set it to low.
    Adjust consistency by adding water if necessary. Then, stir in the salt and sambar powder, ensuring there are no lumps. Alternatively, you can mix the sambar powder in about 50 ml of water until its lump-free, then add the liquid to the cooked ingredients.
    Allow the sambar to boil.
  3. Taste: Taste for salt and seasoning, and adjust if necessary.
    Turn off the heat.
  4. Temper spices: Heat oil in a small pan on medium heat. Add mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to pop and sizzle. Then add the curry leaves and split red chilies, and allow the curry leaves to splutter. Turn off the heat.
  5. Pour tempering over sambar: carefully pour the hot tempering over sambar.
  6. Garnish: garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves and give the sambar a gentle mix.
  7. Serve: Serve delicious beetroot sambar with brown rice, pickles, and vegetable stir-fry. Enjoy!
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