Keerai Sambar Sadam

Name: Keerai Sambar Sadam
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 1 min
Total time: 2 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Indian (Tamilnadu)
Ingredients: 1.5 cups raw rice (sona masoori), washed; ¾ cup toor dal, washed; 250 g fresh spinach (palak) or arai keerai, cleaned and roughly chopped; 2 medium tomatoes, quartered; 1 medium onion, halved; 1 tsp tamarind paste (or lime-sized ball soaked in ¼ cup warm water); 1.5 tsp sambar powder; ½ tsp turmeric powder; Salt to taste (start with 2 tsp); 4.5 cups water (for pressure cooking); 2 tbsp sesame oil (gingelly / nalla ennai); 1 tsp mustard seeds; ½ tsp cumin seeds; 1 dried red chilli, broken; 2 sprigs curry leaves (about 16 leaves); 2 cloves garlic, crushed; ¼ tsp asafoetida (perungayam); Arai keerai (amaranth greens) or mulai keerai give a more authentic Tamil flavour than palak.; The ratio 1.5 cups rice : ¾ cup dal gives a soft, slightly thick consistency. For a looser khichdi style, reduce rice to 1 cup.; Always use sesame oil (gingelly) for the tempering — it gives the characteristic Tamil flavour that vegetable oil cannot replicate.; Serve with a side of raw onion and papad — the crunch contrast is essential.

🌱 Vegan🌾 Gluten-free📊 Easy

Spinach-enriched sambar cooked with rice into a one-pot wholesome meal — the equivalent of comfort food in Tamil homes, especially served for Sunday lunch. The greens melt into the sambar creating a lush, iron-rich dish.

⏱️1 minPrep

🔥1 minCook

🕒2 minTotal

🍽️8Serves

🧺 Ingredients

👩‍🍳 How to make Keerai Sambar Sadam

Add aromatics (medium heat): Add asafoetida and sliced onion halves. Sauté for 3 minutes, stirring, until onion edges soften and turn translucent. Add quartered tomatoes. Cook 2 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften.
Build the sambar base (medium heat): Add sambar powder, turmeric powder, and 2 tsp salt. Stir well for 30 seconds, coating everything in the spice. Add tamarind paste dissolved in ¼ cup water. Stir and cook 1 minute — the masala should be fragrant and the oil beginning to separate at the edges.
Add greens (medium heat): Add the chopped spinach. Toss with the masala base — the greens will wilt rapidly, about 1–2 minutes. Stir until all leaves are coated.
Add dal and rice (medium heat): Add washed toor dal and washed rice. Mix thoroughly so the rice and dal are well coated in the spiced base. Add 4.5 cups water. Stir once and check salt — adjust if needed.
Pressure cook (high heat to build steam, then medium): Close the lid. Cook on high until the first whistle, then reduce to medium heat. Cook for 3 more whistles (total 4 whistles). Turn off heat and let pressure release naturally — about 12–15 minutes. Do NOT force-release for this dish, as the rice needs to finish steaming.
Open and adjust: Open the cooker carefully. The sambar sadam should be slightly mushy with a thick, unified consistency — not dry, not watery. If too thick, add ¼ cup hot water and stir gently on low heat for 1 minute. Taste and adjust salt.

📖 Cultural notes

|---|---|---|---|---| | 385 kcal | 13 g | 68 g | 6 g | 5 g | A temple prasad staple in many Tamil Nadu temples (served as pongal-style sambar sadam on festival days). In Tamil homes, the weekend version uses ghee generously; the weekday version uses sesame oil. Commonly packed in school lunch boxes wrapped in banana leaf. ---

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