Quick and easy one-pot pressure cooker sambar recipe with mixed vegetables and masoor dal! Learn how to prepare this sambar and freeze the same. Yes, it’s a freezer-friendly sambar recipe.
Recently I shared the traditional arachuvitta sambar recipe, and now it’s time for a quick one-pot pressure cooker sambar recipe with homemade sambar powder and masoor dal.
Call it a beginner-friendly or bachelor-friendly recipe, but it’s a perfect sambar for those busy weekdays and mornings.
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By the way, I have started participating in the monthly blogging marathon, and this week’s theme is “Dishes for each meal,” and I am sharing this sambar as one of the dishes that I make for breakfast. This sambar goes well with rice, idli, dosa, pongal, upma, and other tiffin items.
Masoor dal for sambar?
Typically toor dal is used for preparing sambar. But for this recipe, I have used red lentils/masoor dal. Back in India, I don’t remember using masoor dal for any recipes. After coming to the US, when I found these in the stores, out of curiosity, I bought them and made a simple dal as suggested by my friend.
I loved the flavor, and I really liked that it cooks faster even when we cook with tamarind water. So I started making sambar, rasam, and other curries with masoor dal, and that’s how I started making this sambar.
Thick consistency sambar
You all know how I cook and freeze lentils as a part of my meal prep. Recently few of my readers requested me to share freezer-friendly Indian meals. While I regularly freeze pav bhaji, I recently started freezing sambar and other South Indian curries.
I prefer to freeze dishes in their semi-solid state than in a liquid state, especially sambar. It’s easy to store and less messy when storing. Also, while thawing, you can add the required amount of water and bring it to your desired consistency
Freezing and thawing sambar
When making this masoor dal sambar, I add the exact measure of liquid required for the lentils so that the sambar is thick, as shown in the picture. I let it cool at that stage and portion it, and freeze in silicone containers or freezer-friendly reusable zip locks. Flatten the sambar in ziplock bags and squeeze out the air as much as possible before sealing it. For this reason, I prefer semi-solid sambar.
When you want to use it, take the required portion and either bring it to room temperature or add it to a sauce with one cup of water and simmer it.
If you are not planning to freeze, add more water as per your consistency preference.
Frequently asked questions
Let me answer some of the frequently asked questions.
For this masoor dal sambar, I went with mixed vegetables. But you can add just one vegetable of your choices like radish, zucchini or drumstick, or brinjal along with onion and tomato. Two to three cups of vegetables would work.
I highly recommend adding either carrot or sweet potato or pumpkin, i.e., one sweet vegetable for that subtle sweetness. The natural sweetness from these veggies enhances the flavor for sure.
Okra might become mushy and make the sambar gooey, so you can try avoiding that for this pressure cooker sambar.
Yes, it does. I never had issues with my dals/lentils, including toor dal. I have been making this masoor dal sambar for over seven years and never had issues. I do soak the masoor dal for 20 -30 minutes or till I do the prep-work.
If you are not planning to freeze, add 3 to 4 cups of water and cook the sambar. If you plan to freeze, add 2 to 2.5 cups of water and cook the sambar. The water measure depends upon the veggies you use and the quality of the lentils.
If you add more water by mistake, you can always add rice flour slurry (Mix 1 tsp of rice flour with ½ cup of water) and bring it back to a thick consistency.
Yes, you can use toor dal instead of masoor dal. I have tried half the measure of toor dal and half the measure of masoor dal and a combination of toor dal, masoor dal, and moong dal.
Dietary specification and serving suggestions
This sambar is vegan and nut-free. Use gluten-free asafoetida for a gluten-free version. As I mentioned before, you can serve this sambar with idli, dosa, pongal, and upma. It also goes well with rice. I served this sambar with pongal and chutney this time.
This sambar stays well for two days when refrigerated. It thickens as it stays longer, and that’s normal. Reheat and if required, add ¼ to ½ cup of water while reheating. Please refer above for the freezing details.
Now without any further ado, let’s see how to make this sambar.
Masoor dal sambar recipe with step-wise pictures
- Heat the pressure cooker and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida, and let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Then add the onions and cook until the onions turn soft.
- Add all the veggies – tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, drumsticks, and carrots. Add salt and turmeric powder.
- Mix all the veggies and add the tamarind water and sambar powder mixed with ½ cup of water. We mix the sambar powder with water to avoid the lumps. Reduce the heat to low. Add one more cup of water, jaggery, salt, and mix.
- Now add the soaked and drained masoor dal.
- Mix well and add cilantro. Close the pressure cooker lid and increase the heat to medium, and pressure cook for four whistles.
- Let the pressure naturally subside and open the pressure cooker. The sambar will be thick like below.
- At this stage, you can let it cool and then portion it. Freeze the portions when they are at room temperature. If not, add one more cup of water, bring it to a gentle boil, and turn off the heat. That’s it; sambar is ready. Serve hot with rice or tiffin items like idli, dosa, pongal, etc.
Recipe notes
- This sambar has a thick consistency. You can add extra water as per your consistency preference.
- If you are not planning to freeze, add entire water before pressure cooking and make the sambar.
- Adjust salt, sambar powder, and veggies according to your taste.
- Instead of masoor dal, you can use toor dal or moong dal or a combination of all. I have tried the combination of masoor and toor and masoor, toor and moong. All have come out well.
Explore other masoor dal recipes
Loved this recipe?
If you try this one-pot sambar with masoor dal, 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 or Instagram or join my Facebook Group for recipe updates and simple Indian meal ideas.
📖 Recipe
Pressure Cooker Sambar With Masoor dal
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
To Temper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tsp fenugreek seeds reduce as per taste
- 5 curry leaves
- ¼ tsp asafoetida
Other ingredients
- 110 grams onion half of the medium-sized onion chopped
- 60 grams tomato one big tomato chopped
- 120 grams sweet potatoes chopped. Approx 1 cup
- 120 grams zucchini chopped Approx 1 cup
- 50 grams carrot one carrot
- Five pieces drumstick
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder
- 1.5 tsp salt or to taste
- 1.25 tsp tamarind paste mix it with ½ cup water
- 1 tbsp sambar powder heaped (mix it with ½ cup of water)
- ½ tsp jaggery optional
- 3 cups water divided
- 1 cup masoor dal rinsed and soaked for 30 minutes, and drained
- 1 tbsp cilantro fine chopped
Instructions
- Heat the pressure cooker and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, curry leaves, and asafoetida, and let the mustard seeds splutter.
- Then add the onions and cook until the onions turn soft.
- Add all the veggies – tomatoes, zucchini, sweet potatoes, drumsticks, and carrots. Add salt and turmeric powder.
- Mix all the veggies and add the tamarind water and sambar powder mixed with ½ cup of water. We mix the sambar powder with water to avoid the lumps. Reduce the heat to low. Add one more cup of water, jaggery, salt, and mix.
- Now add the soaked and drained masoor dal.
- Mix well and add cilantro. Close the pressure cooker lid and increase the heat to medium, and pressure cook for four whistles.
- Let the pressure naturally subside and open the pressure cooker. The sambar will be thick like below. At this stage, you can let it cool and then portion it. Freeze the portions when they are at room temperature. If not, add one more cup of water, bring it to a gentle boil, and turn off the heat. That’s it; sambar is ready. Serve hot with rice or tiffin items like idli, dosa, pongal, etc.
Notes
- This sambar has a thick consistency. You can add extra water as per your consistency preference.
- If you are not planning to freeze, add entire water before pressure cooking and make the sambar.
- Adjust salt, sambar powder, and veggies according to your taste.
- Instead of masoor dal, you can use toor dal or moong dal or a combination of all. I have tried the combination of masoor and toor and masoor, toor and moong. All have come out well.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist. The nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It varies depending upon the product types or brands.
Update Notes: Earlier posted on 2014. Now updated with new pictures, recipe card and with freezing instructions.
Love this sambar Srividhya, I have mostly used Masoor in dal and khichid. try for making sambar…I have never tried freezing sambar, as Vaishali said, I have frozen boiled dal. will surely try this soon…
Thanks Valli.
I like the idea of freezing sambar, I freeze the boiled dal, but haven’t tried sambar. Will give it a try .
I have made Masoor dal sambar and it tastes great , but your recipe sounds good and a must tey.
Thanks Vaishali.
I love direct pressure cooker cooking Sri:-) no need to spend much time in kitchen
Yup true
I usually dislike any kind of sweetness in sambhar so have never experimenting with adding jaggery.. i am curious though.. maybe will try it sometime to overcome my own bias :)
1-2 tsp of jaggery doesn’t add too much of sweetness. Its just to balance the sourness and the spice. But I agree some people doesn’t like adding it. But give it a shot and let me know :-) :-)
Easy and less time consuming.. :) Goes well with idli and dosa too
Yup