When we think about South Indian recipes, especially Tamil Nadu, the idli and sambar will be among the few recipes that come into our minds. It’s one of the signature recipes of South India. I have shared quite a few sambar recipes, and today I will share how to make a mixed vegetable sambar, aka South Indian lentil stew, in the Instant Pot.
Things to know about Instant Pot sambar
Making sambar in Instant Pot is very convenient. You don’t need to worry about adding the pressure cooker weight and turning it off in 3 or 4 whistles. I turn my IP on, forget about the food and go on with my calls and other errands. After cooking, the IP goes back to warm mode automatically. This Instant Pot sambar is truly a one-pot sambar recipe, and I do the tempering also in the Instant Pot. So not much cleaning involved either. Now coming back to the sambar, I prepared this as a mixed veggie sambar. The procedure is straightforward. I tempered and cooked my shallots in the sauté mode, then threw all the other ingredients required for the sambar and set it to manual/pressure cook mode. Once the cooking is complete, we add the rice flour slurry and simmer the sambar in saute mode to thicken the sambar.
Ingredients required
To temper: We need oil, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida. I always add extra fenugreek seeds as we like the flavor. But you can reduce it to ½ tsp. Vegetables: While you can make sambar with just one vegetable like my onion sambar or pumpkin sambar, for this sambar, I went with mixed vegetables, and I have used shallots, beans, carrot, capsicum, white pumpkin, drumstick, brinjal, okra, and tomatoes. You can add veggies of your choice. Instead of shallots, you can use regular onions too. Tamarind paste: Like sambar powder, I used my homemade tamarind paste. You can use store-bought paste, or if you are using tamarind block, soak small lime size tamarind in 1 cup of water for 30 minutes and extract the juice. Apart from these ingredients, we also need jaggery, rice flour, curry leaves, and cilantro.
Watch me make the Instant Pot Sambar.
Here is the instant pot recipe preparation video. Please subscribe to my youtube channel for more video recipes. Also, find the detailed written recipe below.
How to Make Vegetable Instant Pot Sambar
Set your Instant pot in saute mode. When the IP is hot, add the oil. And after 20 to 30 seconds, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida. Let the mustard seeds splutter, and add the curry leaves and shallots—Cook for a couple of minutes.Then add all the veggies and mix well.At this stage, add the turmeric powder, salt, sambar powder, tamarind extract, and two cups of water and mix well.Now add the jaggery, if using, and add the rinsed and drained toor dal and mix well. Check for salt and spice and adjust accordingly.Turn off the Instant Pot and close it. Ensure the sealing ring is in place and set the vent to the sealing position. Cook the sambar in manual/high-pressure mode for 10 minutes at high pressure, and after the cooking is done, naturally release the pressure. Then carefully open the Instant Pot. Set it in saute mode. If you need thick consistency, mix 2 tsp of rice flour in ½ cup of water and add it to the sambar. You can skip the slurry and directly add cilantro. Add cilantro and let it simmer for a couple of minutes or until the sambar thickens. Turn off the IP.
That’s it. Yummy and easy sambar is ready.
Recipe notes
Instead of adding all the veggies, you can add anyone veggie or add onion and prepare onion sambar.Adjust the salt and spice as per your preference.Jaggery is entirely optional.If you prefer thin consistency, ignore the rice flour mix.
Dietary specifications and serving suggestions
This sambar recipe is naturally vegan and nut-free. Use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version. Serve this sambar with rice and dry curries/poriyal or kootu/gravy curry of your choice. Sambar tastes delicious when served hot. You can refrigerate this sambar for three to four days, and you can also freeze the sambar for longer shelf life.
Frequently asked questions
Explore other sambar recipes
PS: If you try this Instant Pot sambar, please don’t forget to comment and rate this recipe. If you have any questions, please leave a comment, and I will get to it ASAP. Make sure to follow me on my Pinterest for more healthy and delicious ideas! Follow me on Instagram or join my Facebook Group for more recipe updates! You can also sign-up for my newsletter for weekly updates.
📖 Recipe
