Although I realise the actual version requires coconut and freshly ground and powdered spices, etc, that’s not a very weeknight-friendly recipe. I have tried that a couple of times but the sheer time it takes to peel the shallots itself is a turn-off.
Anyway, here’s how I make mine, the easy, quick version of Sambar Sadam made in a pressure cooker.
Bisi Bele Bath / Sambar Sadam Recipe
Serves 2-3
Preparation time – 15 mins
Special utensil needed – pressure cookerWhat I Use:
Rice – 1.5 cups
I use ponni or basmati but the regular rice you use every day will work just fine.
Toor / tuvar / kandi pappu / pigeon peas – 3/4 to 1 cup
Tamarind – a marble-sized ball or 2 tbsp tamarind paste
Chopped vegetables – 1.5 cups
You can use any vegetables you have in hand like French beans, carrots, potatoes, peas, tomatoes, drumstick, capsicum, etc.
Shallots – 6 (optional)
Green chillies – 2
Sambar powder – 1.5 to 2 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida / Perungayam – 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder – a pinchFor tempering:
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
Curry leaves – a few
Shallots – 2, sliced thin (optional)How to make Sambar Sadam in a Pressure Cooker:
1. Add 1 cup warm water to the tamarind and extract juice. Discard pulp. If using tamarind paste, dissolve it in 1 cup water without any lumps.
2. Heat oil for tempering in the pressure cooker pan and add the rest of the ingredients. Fry the shallots for tempering, if using, until golden brown. Then add the hing, green chillies, turmeric and sambar powder and mix well for 10 seconds.
3. Add all the ingredients and sufficient water. To cook the rice I use every day, the ratio of rice:water is 1:2. Since I have used 1.5 cups rice here, I need 3 cups water in total. Tamarind juice is in 1 cup water so I added approximately 2 more cups of water to the cooker. Its fine if its slightly more than that.
4. Cook for 3 whistles. If you like your sambar sadam a bit mushy, then cook for 4 whistles and make sure you add slightly more water than specified above.
5. Wait till pressure leaves and serve hot with vadaam / chips / appalam and raita / curd.
I heart BBB!!! I am going to try this one but grind cinnamon, cloves and elachi with the sambar powder and use it instead!
Never tried BBB with sambar powder …looks yumm, thanks for participating
I never had this growing up, mom never made things like this, only had them after my sis getting married and then the first spoonfull i loved it, this looks so yumm and love the colour of the dish too.
Wow, Sambar rice as a one-dish meal….this is heaven….I am big fan of these one pot dishes….saving grace during weekdays and sometimes weekends too. Great recipe…you truly rock 🙂
Loved your version, nice pics too.. 🙂
nags,
looks yummy..aa banana leaf plate mustafayil ninnano..:)ente kayyilum onnu undu.same pinch..:)
btw, ur recipe diary blog looks wonderful.
I made bisibelebhaat for the first time a while back and absolutely loved it … your version seems much quicker. 🙂
Hi Nags, love your easy recipe with everything in the pressure cooker. I normally make it this way too, but sometimes use roasted ground coconut,coriander,red chilly masala for bisi bele bath, in which case i cook veggies dal and your pics..btw, i had made this on sat for lunch:-)
just a lil bit of ghee and some papads and im good to go 🙂
lovely picture… love how quick this one is 🙂