This Instant Pot Sambar is a simple Karnataka-style mixed vegetable sambar. It's easy, nutritious, and absolutely delicious!
Sambar is a popular and authentic South Indian recipe. It's prepared with one or two vegetables and onion as an add-on in a lentil base. I am sharing a Potato & Onion sambar recipe today.
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About this recipe
I bring an easy version of the Sambar recipe that you can prepare with your Instant Pot. Every South Indian household makes its own version of this sambar recipe. While spices can vary, there are a few staple ingredients that are consistent in all versions: lentils (typically toor dal), sambar powder, and mixed vegetables.
I prepared this dish with my homemade sambar powder. You could do the same if you already have some ready. If not, you can always buy one from your local ethnic grocery.
If you are interested in preparing your own Sambar powder, I also added a recipe link for that. Having a small stock of homemade sambar powder will come in handy on those busy days.
You will find that the procedure is made simple with the Instant Pot with no compromise in taste. As in most Indian recipes, the quantity and the quality of the spices that you add matters a lot. Be sure to add all the spices I have listed here.
Ingredients notes
Toor dal: I used split pigeon peas. Always wash and rinse the dal before using it in any recipe. Soaking them in water for 30 minutes will make them softer and easier to cook.
Vegetables: Use your choice of vegetables. Scot only used vegetables are potatoes, eggplant, radish, carrot, onion, and tomatoes.
Sambar powder: Homemade sambar powder gives the freshest and authentic flavor to the sambar. But store-bought powder is good too.
Spices: You will need Mustard seeds, curry leaves, and split black gram for the tempering to enhance the flavor. Other supporting spices are green chilies to suit your taste preference.
How to make this recipe
Add oil to the inner pot in your Instant Pot and press the saute option. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds and urad dal.
As the mustard seeds start to sputter, add curry leaves and green chilies and stir well for a minute. Add onions and continue to saute for at least a minute.
Now add tomatoes and let them soften up and then add potatoes. In about a minute, add turmeric and sambar powder and stir well for an even mixture.
Add toor dal, tamarind or lemon juice, jaggery, 2 ½ cup water, and salt.
Close the lid of the instant pot. Turn the steam release handle to sealing position. Press on Pressure cooking( high pressure) setting and set the timer for 6 minutes.
When time is up open the lid using the quick release option or you could also let it cool down naturally.
Garnish with cilantro and Instant Pot Sambar is ready!
Pairing suggestion
This vegetable Sambar is usually paired with Dosa or Idli. But pairing it with steamed rice or roti is also equally good.
Lentil/ dal option for sambar
If you are juggling or confused as to what type of lentil or dal to use in a sambar recipe, I will make it easy for you! The most common choice and the one I have used is Toor dal. But you could also use red lentils or masoor dal.
There are more choices though….you can also make delicious sambar with moong dal and chana dal. But always be sure to adjust the cooking time and quantity of water to match your dal selection.
Here’s a small table showing the cooking time and water required for the common kinds of dal, to prepare the Instant Pot Sambar.
Recipe FAQ’s
If you are not able to use homemade sambar powder or a store-bought powder, use coriander powder, cumin powder, and chili powder as a substitute.
I don't always make sambar powder at home, So I always keep a few brands of sambar powder handy. Personally, I like MTR sambar powder and Brahmins sambar powder.
It’s all in the ingredients… check out the list of ingredients and you will see differences of spices used and the quantity.
Most likely due to stale sambar powder or if the vegetables you use are a little bitter...like bitter gourds.
Sambar is a mixture of Indian spices and lentils cooked with steamed vegetables. This comes close to a stew consistency.
Yes of course! You could skip the tamarind and substitute it with lemon juice. You could also skip tamarind and lemon juice. But be sure to skip jaggery, if you are skipping tamarind.
As with many soups and curry, this Instant Pot Sambar recipe can be frozen and reheated later.
Expert tips
- Soak the toor dal for 30 minutes before using it in the recipe. This helps in getting the right texture for the sambar.
- Try this recipe with red onions. White or the yellow kind is milder compared to the red version and hence will need more spices to support it.
- Add your choice of vegetables to the sambar recipe.
- The addition of jaggery and tamarind pulp water is optional. But that’s what gives the authentic Udupi style taste.
- Use any type or brand of sambar powder.
- If you feel your sambar is light in color add Kashmiri red chili powder along with sambar powder.
- You could use split red lentil instead of split pigeon peas.
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📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Sambar
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 red chili
- ½ teaspoon urad dal
- 2 green chilies
- 7 curry leaves
- 1 red or white onions
- 2 Tomatoes
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 tablespoon sambar Powder
- 2 red potatoes
- 1 Carrot chopped
- ¾ cup pigeon pea/toor dal
- 2 ½ cup water
- Salt to taste
- ½ teaspoon tamarind concentrates or 2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon jaggery or brown sugar
Instructions
- Add oil to the inner pot in your Instant Pot and press the saute option. When the oil is hot add mustard seeds and urad dal.
- As the mustard seeds start to sputter, add curry leaves and green chilies and stir well for a minute. Add onions and continue to saute for at least a minute.
- Now add tomatoes and let them soften up and then add potatoes. In about a minute, add turmeric and sambar powder and stir well for an even mixture.
- Add toor dal, tamarind or lemon juice, jaggery, 2 ½ cup water, and salt.
- Close the lid of the instant pot. Turn the steam release handle to sealing position. Press on Pressure cooking( high pressure) setting and set the timer for 6 minutes.
- When time is up open the lid using the quick release option or you could also let it cool down naturally.
- Garnish with cilantro and Sambar is ready!
Process Shot
Check above for step-by-step pictures (most of my recipes include pictures)
Video
Notes
- Soak the toor dal for 30 minutes before using it in the recipe. This helps in getting the right texture for sambar.
- Try this recipe with red onions. White or the yellow kind is milder compared to the red version and hence will need more spices to support it.
- Add your choice of vegetables to the sambar recipe.
- The addition of jaggery and tamarind pulp water is optional. But that’s what gives the authentic Udupi style taste.
- Use any type or brand of sambar powder.
- If you feel your sambar is light in color add Kashmiri red chili powder along with sambar powder.
- You could use split red lentils instead of split pigeon peas.
YOUR OWN NOTES
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimation only.
Judy
I made this in the normal pressure cooker. The cooking time was more . It cooks faster if the tamarind juice is poured after cooking the dal and vegetables.
It came out just as well.
Just a small query. What is the role of the jaggery? Is it a regulator or just for taste balance?
Uma Raghupathi
Thanks for your feedback. The role of jaggery is for taste and to bring the balance with tamarind paste. If you add jaggery it will be authentic south Indian sambar.
Ava
Thank you for this recipe! Looking forward to making it! I wanted to substitute the red lentils with toor dal instead. For that, should the IP pressure time still be kept at 7 mins only with 2 and a half cups of water added? Please do let me know!
Uma Raghupathi
Hi Ava. If you are using Toor dal rinse well and soak for 15 minutes in warm water. Then add the same amount of water and cook for 7 mins. hope this will help you to make this sambar recipe.
Ava
Thank you for your response! I can’t wait to make it!! 🙂