Instant Pot Sambar | South Indian Kerala Style

Sambar (pronounced ‘saam-baar’) is a boldly flavored South Indian vegetable lentil stew. What began as a South Indian dish has become popular all over India and the world.

There are so many versions of sambar because different states, communities and households have their own adaptations of this delicious recipe.  It’s an almost-daily staple in South Indian households.  As a matter of fact my niece who’s grown up in the US wanted sambar and rice every single day when she was little!  The protein and vegetables make it quite a healthy choice.

Sambar can be eaten with idlis (rice-lentil steamed cakes), dosas (rice-lentil crepes), vadas (fried lentil doughnuts) or as a soup.  I will be posting recipes for these in the coming months.  One of my favorite ways of eating sambar is with Instant Pot Rice and pappadums –  comfort food at its best!

My Instant Pot Sambar recipe comes from the South Indian state of Kerala – which is where my family is from – and it’s my mom’s recipe. My mom has two versions of sambar: with and without coconut.

I love both recipes but prefer to add coconut because it gives the sambar a thick consistency and a rich flavor. You can make this Instant Pot Sambar without coconut if you’re short on time or if you don’t care for coconut.

This Instant Pot Sambar recipe has been streamlined and is quite easy to make if you have all the ingredients on hand. My mom’s is a sambar recipe without sambar powder.  She uses individual spices in her recipe and I give you that option in the tips.

My Instant Pot Sambar recipe calls for sambar powder, which is a prepared spice mix. I generally don’t make my own – I just buy it from my local Indian grocery store.  However, if you’d like to make your own, here’s a good sambar powder recipe from the blog Veg Recipes of India.  It’s very similar to a recipe in one of my Kerala cookbooks.

Although this isn’t a complicated recipe, there are quite a few things that need to be explained especially for newcomers to South Indian cooking.  Don’t be scared by the length of the tips on how to make Instant Pot Sambar, just read on!

Click Below to Check out all my Indian Recipes!

Tips and Substitutions

---

• Toor dal (pronounced ‘thoor daal’)  comes in two varieties: oily and non-oily.  You need the non-oily kind.  They are also called split pigeon peas.
• Be sure to rinse the toor dal really well until the water runs clear.
• The dal should be cooked to a soft consistency, such that it can be mashed easily.  I’ve given you a pressure cooking time that works for me but if you find that the dal is not cooked enough, just pressure cook it for 2 to 3 minutes more.  Some dals that have been on the shelf for too long can be harder to cook – the fresher the dal is, the quicker it cooks.  You can also soak the dal for about an hour if you want to speed up the cooking time.

---

• There are many different combinations of vegetables you can use for Instant Pot Sambar.  The one I’ve given you is my mom’s preferred combination: okra, eggplant, and cucumber (she uses Indian cucumber but I use English cucumber).  She also uses drumsticks (also known as moringa).
• You can use your choice of vegetables.  The only caveat is that you should use vegetables that have similar pressure cooking times so that they all cook evenly.
• If you prefer a sambar with fewer vegetables and more liquid, just reduce the vegetables to 1 1/2 cups in total quantity.
• Instead of pressure cooking the vegetables, you can also use ‘Saute’ mode until cooked to your liking.
• Optional: if you’re using okra, you can stir-fry the okra and add it in separately from the other vegetables.

---

The version of the sambar recipe my mom makes does not use sambar powder.  Instead, she uses the following mix, dry roasted in a frying pan and powdered in a coffee grinder or using a mortar and pestle:

• 1 Tbsp coriander seeds
• 1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri chili powder (or to taste).  You can also use 2 whole Kashmiri chilies (or more to taste)

Add these spices in place of the sambar powder.  Asafoetida powder is a very pungent spice, so make sure you store it properly sealed.  If you’re using coconut, you could also roast these spices with the coconut and then grind to a paste.

---

The addition of sugar in this recipe is recommended because it balances out the flavors: salty, sour, spicy and sweet flavors make a perfect combination.  However, you can omit the sugar; there are many recipes for sambar that don’t include sugar.

---

• I prefer to use homemade tamarind paste over tamarind concentrate.  But tamarind concentrate works fine too.
• You can purchase tamarind concentrate from an Indian store.   Tamarind concentrate is exactly that – concentrated!  I like to mix it with water to reconstitute it.  If you’re using tamarind concentrate, start out with 1 teaspoon mixed with 1 teaspoon hot water.  Add more to taste.
• If you have tamarind pulp, use a 1-inch piece, soak it in 1/2 cup of hot water for 15 minutes. Break up the lumps and squeeze with your hands.  Discard the solids and set the liquid aside.  Use this liquid when cooking the vegetables and add 1 cup water instead of 1 1/2.  Add more tamarind to taste.

---

• The addition of coconut in this recipe is an optional step.  Even if you don’t add coconut, this Instant Pot Sambar is very flavorful.  So feel free to omit.  Roasting the coconut does take up to 15 minutes, so you would save that time.
• Grind the coconut to a smooth paste in a mini blender.  If you find that the coconut mixture is too thick and isn’t moving, add one tablespoon of water at a time, stirring before trying again.  If you add too much water, the coconut won’t blend properly.
• If you don’t have fresh or frozen coconut, you can use desiccated coconut.  Here’s a way to rehydrate desiccated coconut.  You could even use the Instant Pot to steam it, but make sure the steam release is on VENTING!

I recently purchased a Vitamix blender that also has a mini-blender attachment.  It was a pricey investment but I am so happy with it.  Does such a good job of blending hard-to-blend items like urad for idli! 

---

• The final step in this recipe is the frying of the mustard seeds and curry leaves which is known as ‘tempering’.
• I give you the option of using either vegetable oil or coconut oil for tempering.  But let me say that if you’re not opposed to using coconut oil, you’ll get an enhanced flavor!
• Make sure you don’t burn the tempering ingredients!

---

Finally, the flavors of this sambar should be balanced with no one flavor overpowering the others.  So taste and adjust seasonings as you go.

Instant Pot DUO Pressure Cook:

• Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
• Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘10′ (10 minutes).

Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:

• Close the lid.
• Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 10 minutes (00:10).
• Press ‘Start’.

• Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
• Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
• The display will count down from 10 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’  or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.

• Allow the pressure to release naturally (NPR).  The float valve will be in the down position.  This may take 15 to 30 minutes.
• Press Cancel and open the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot DUO Pressure Cook:

• Close the lid and make sure steam release handle is in ‘Sealing’ position
• Press ‘Manual’ (or ‘Pressure Cook’) and ‘+’ or ‘-‘ until the display reads ‘1′ (1 minute).

Instant Pot ULTRA Pressure Cook:

• Close the lid.
• Select Pressure Cook mode and adjust the time to 1 minute (00:1).
• Press ‘Start’.

• Instant Pot display will change to ‘On’.
• Once the Instant Pot is pressurized, the float valve will go up.
• The display will count down from 1 to 0; it will then switch to ‘Keep Warm’ mode and display ‘L0:00’  or ’00 00′ and begin to count up.

Instant Pot DUO Quick Release:

• Move the steam release handle to ‘Venting’. I like to place a folded towel over the steam release handle and move it to the venting position. Remove the towel after turning the knob.
• When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
• Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.

Instant Pot ULTRA Quick Release:

• Press down on the Steam Release Button until it locks into place, and steam begins to come out of the Steam Release Valve.
• When your Instant Pot is depressurized, the float valve will be in the down position.
• Press ‘Cancel’ and open the Instant Pot.

 

I am not a certified nutritionist.  I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers.  If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons,  I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.

If you loved this recipe, please give it a 5 Star rating in the comment section below and please share it on social media using the social media share buttons at the top and bottom of this post. Thank you so much!

Back to Top