Instant Pot Vegetable Sambar

4.95 from 18 votes

Sambar is a popular and authentic dish from South India. Sambar is prepared with one or two vegetables and onion as an add-on.

Prep Time7

Cook Time20

Total Time27

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Vegan

Allergen: Dairy free, Soy free

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: people

Calories: 101kcal

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.
1 tablespoon coconut Oil, ½ teaspoon mustard seeds, ½ teaspoon 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.
2 green chilies, 7 curry leaves, 1 red onions
Now add tomatoes and let them soften up and then add carrots and potatoes. In about a minute, add turmeric, red chili powder, and sambar powder and stir well for an even mixture.
2 tomatoes, ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, 2 tablespoon sambar Powder, 2 red potatoes, 1 carrot, Salt to taste, ½ teaspoon red chili powder
Add toor dal, tamarind or lemon juice, jaggery, 2 ½ cup water, and salt.
¾ cup toor dal, ½ teaspoon tamarind concentrates, 1 teaspoon jaggery
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!

Soak the toor dal for 30 minutes before using it in the recipe. This helps in getting the right texture for the sambar and also in cooking the lentils faster.
Try this recipe with red onions. The white or yellow kind is milder than 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 sambhar powder.
If you feel your sambar is light in color, add Kashmiri red chili powder along with sambar powder.
If you prefer a thinner sambar, add more water while cooking the vegetables.
Adding half a teaspoon of fenugreek seeds (optional) to the tempering is another traditional way.