Sambar Rice - Quick dinner for cold winter nights

Apart from the darkness that creeps in the late afternoon with the early sunset , I love everything about december ; even the same darkness in the mornings that allows me to wallow in my bed for an extra hour or two. Its such a special time for people around the world right ; with festive colors , lights and music , everywhere you go! There's something magical about this holiday season , that lifts my spirits sky high ...
I still believe in Santa Claus , do you ? I believed him, and was singing like Marilyn Monroe - "Santa baby"- a hundred times with my own lines , and he came down the chimney a lil early for me this year ! 

Hows holiday preparations coming along ? Baking goodies , packing and wrapping for friends and family ? I am yet to start my "small baking ritual ", since I m busy with lots n lots of good things that Santa brought me last couple of weeks ......................

Todays recipe is something I fell in love with recently! All thanks to my neighbor "U", for cooking the authentic Kannada Sambar rice for me a number of times , or I should say whenever I craved for it and made me fall in love !

What I have here today is a not-so-authentic , more of a cheat's ( oh yeah mine ) , version for a lazy cold winter night.....A perfect medley of rice , lentils and vegetables to keep you warm n cozy !

Recipe for Sambar Rice( Bisi Bele Bath) - Cheat's Version( A not-so-authentic one)

Serves - 4

Total cooking time - 45 minutes - 1 hr

Ingredients:-
Rice - 1 cup ( I used Sona masoori )
Red Lentils - 1 cup ( You can use any lentils u love)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Tamarind pulp - 1 table spoon
Onion chopped - 1
Garlic crushed - 2-3 cloves(optional)
Ginger crushed - a small piece (optional)
Tomato chopped - 1
( 2 cups of vegetablesof your choice ,I used -)
Carrot chopped - 2
Green Beans - a handful
Potato - 1
Green Peas cooked - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Spice mix
Sambar Powder - 1 to 2 tablespoons ( use as per ur spice level , I prefer Shakti brand)
Grated coconut - 3 - 4 tablespoons
Curry leaves - 5-6
Cinnamon - a small stick
Cloves - 3-4
Cardamom - 3-4
Mace - 1
Dried red chili - 2
Fenugreek seeds - a pinch
Oil - 1 tea spoon
For tempering
Butter / Ghee- 2-3 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tea spoon( optional)
Grated coconut - 1 tablespoon
Curry leaves
Peanuts / cashew or anything you love - a handful
Hing - a pinch ( optional)
Cilantro - for garnishing

Method :-
Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Drain and cook well( almost mushy).Set aside.
( I used a rice cooker ; for 1 cup of rice 3- 3.5 cup of warm water)
Wash and rinse red lentils , soak for 15-20 minutes, drain and cook with turmeric , salt and enough water.Soak tamarind pulp in a cup of warm water.

Spice mix:- Heat a tea spoon of oil in a pan and fry grated coconut and curry leaves , when it starts turning the color add dried red chili and other whole spices and fry . Switch off the flame , add sambar powder and fry in that heat .Grind to a smooth powder in a coffee grinder.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker or a heavy bottomed pan and add onion and saute , followed by crushed ginger , and garlic. Add tomato , chopped vegetables except green peas, saute for a couple of minutes .
Add salt to taste, spice powder , soaked tamarind with water , cooked lentils and pressure cook for a single whistle or cook till the vegetables are tender. Uncover and add green peas and hing.

Slowly fold in cooked rice and combine well and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.( or take another pan mix rice and sambar as per your consistency and let heat through).
Make the tempering and pour over the rice. Serve warm with chopped cilantro and fried pappadums!

Happy Cooking !


Sarah