Sambar Rice/Saadam (or) Bisibele Baat

Sambar saadam as is commonly called in Tamil Nadu is a tangy n spicy dish made using rice, dal, veggies and freshly made sambar powder. Sambar saadam is quite similar to the Karnataka special bisibele baat. Sambar saadam is also distributed as a prasadam in many temples of South India. Especially when you wait in the “darshan” rooms at Lord Balaji temple in Tirupati, you are served with piping

hot sambar saadam. The taste and ingredients vary slightly between different households in Tamil Nadu as well as in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.

Here is my version of how I make it at home. It’s a simple meal and can be made within thirty minutes or so. The only accompaniments that you need along with this are some fried papads and a chilled raita. If you happen to have dry sambar powder ready with you, it becomes even more simpler. You can use vegetables like ash gourd, shallots, beans, green peas, potatoes, tomatoes etc.

There are no hard and fast rules about the vegetables to be used in the recipe. You can use any cup size of your choice. If you are one of those kinds who love to experiment with each and every dish, you would like to replace the rice with a millet of your choice or maybe a grain like quinoa. If I try it, I shall surely share it with you guys. If you are hard pressed for time, you can cook the vegetables along with the rice and dal and add the sambar masala to it. The choice is yours and trust me, whatever you do, it’s gonna taste delicious. And mind you, this is indeed a healthy dish full of proteins from the dal, carbohydrates from the rice and vitamins and minerals from the veggies. So, how about trying this in your kitchen?

Ingredients:

For the rice n dal:

• Rice 1 cup
• Toor dal 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp moong dal
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder 3/4 tsp

For the sambar masala :

• Dry red chilies 3-4
• Coriander seeds 1 tbsp
• Urad dal 1 tsp
• Chana dal 1 tsp
• Methi/Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
• Grated coconut 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves few
• Oil 1 tsp

For the vegetable mix:

• Shallots 8-10
• Carrot 1
• Potato 1
• Beans 6-7
• Tomatoes 2
• Salt to taste
• Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind a lemon size ball
• Ghee 1 tsp

For the tempering:

• Ghee 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds 1 tsp
• Curry leaves few
• Dry red chilies 2-3

Method:

To cook rice n dal:

• Wash the rice and dal separately and soak it for half an hour.
• Transfer rice and dal into a pressure pan and add salt and turmeric powder.
• Pour around three times of water and bring it to a boil.
• Cover the lid and place the whistle. After around three whistles, reduce the flame and cook for ten more minutes.
• Now switch off the flame and allow the pressure to release completely.
• You rice and dal mixture is ready. Mash it a bit. As the rice and dal is getting cooked, let us make the sambar masala.

For the sambar masala:

• Heat oil in a kadhai and add the urad dal, chana dal, coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds. Roast for a minute.

• Now add the curry leaves and dry red chilies too.

• Add the grated coconut and roast the entire mixture till the coconut is golden in colour. Add the asafoetida and switch off the flame.

• Allow the mixture to cool and powder it in a dry mixer jar. Keep it aside.

To make the vegetable mix:

• Cut the potato and carrot into small cubes and into one inch pieces. Peel the shallots and slice the tomatoes.

• Heat ghee in a pan and saute the veggies till they are translucent.

• Add some water and salt and cook till the veggies are soft and tender.

• Now add the tamarind to quarter cup water and squeeze out the pulp.
• Furthermore, add this tamarind pulp to the veggie mixture and bring it to a boil. Adjust salt if needed.

• Now add the dry sambar masala powder and mix well. The vegetable mix is now ready to be mixed with the rice.

How to assemble :

• Transfer the cooked rice and dal into the vegetable mixture.

• Add some water to adjust the consistency.
• Adjust salt and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Remove from stove.

To make the Tempering:

• Heat some ghee in a small tadka of frying pan.
• Add mustard seeds and dried red chilies.
• When the seeds splutter, add curry leaves. Add this tempering into the rice mixture and mix well.
• Serve it hot with some fried papads and raita. Enjoy 🙂