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Jump to:What is Idli Sambar?How to make Idli Sambar Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker?Instant Pot Idli Instant Pot SambarHow to make Sambar in Instant Pot (Pot in Pot Method)Tips for making Idli SambarInstant Pot Idli Sambar Recipe
What is Idli Sambar?
If you already haven’t relished Idli Sambar at an Indian household or an Indian restaurant yet, then this is a must try! Idli Sambar are a typical South Indian breakfast that has become popular across the globe for it’s soft spongy Idlis and lipsmackingly delicious Sambar. The Idlis are savory rice cakes that are steamed using fermented lentil and rice batter. Sambar is the tangy spicy vegetable lentil soup in which the Idli’s are dunk. Usually Idli Sambar is paired with either a green or white coconut chutney or the red chutney as seen in the picture.
How to make Idli Sambar Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker?
Instant Pot Idli
The soft spongy Idlis are made from steaming the fermented batter of rice and de-husked black gram in molds. Not everybody makes Idli batter at home, some buy ready batter from the store too. Making the Idli batter at home is pretty easy. First the rice and lentils are soaked in water overnight. Then they are ground into a fine paste. Next you add water to the paste and turn it into a batter which needs to be fermented before being steamed into the molds.
The secret to making the best idlis lies in the idli batter. Thus we will shortly have a whole post sharing our tips and tricks to make the best idli batter ever. In the mean while we will use a ready batter which is either store bought (available at any Indian grocery store) or made at home.
How to make Idli in Instant Pot?
For this recipe, please use either a pre made or store bought idli batter. Make sure you check out the video recipe.
Instant Pot Sambar
Sambar is the lentil vegetable soup that is the perfect medley of all the flavors - savory, sweet, spicy, tangy and sour! Sure to tantalize your tastebuds. Sambar is prepared differently in different regions of India using different ingredients. Over the years I learnt multiple tricks from different people to make a lipsmakcingly delicious sambar, which I have shared in the tips below.
Sambar Ingredients
Note - This Sambar recipe calls for pantry staples and offers substitutes incase you are unable to step out during the 2020 Lockdown, like me :) Below is just of list of the ingredients, the exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
Lentils - Toor Dal or Piegon Peas Spices & Herbs - Homemade or store bought Sambar powder, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, dried red chillies, garlic, & curry leaves. I didn’t have fresh curry leaves so used dried curry leaves. Flavor enhancers - Jaggery or sugar if you don’t have jaggery handy. Tamarind pulp or kokum also known as dried mangosteen or even lemon juice if you don’t have either of them handy. I didn’t have jaggery and tamarind pulp so I used kokum and lemon juice to bring out the tangy flavors. Vegetables - Typically the different veggies used in making are onions, tomatoes, carrots, drumsticks, okra, eggplant, french beans, bottle gourd or dosakai. I use whatever I have handy. Coconut Milk, Water and Oil - Coconut milk is added to mellow down the spice and give the Sambar a creamy texture however it is optional. If you have it handy you can use it or else skip it entirely.
How to make Sambar in Instant Pot (Pot in Pot Method)
Here is just a gist of the recipe, the exact measurements and details are in the recipe card below.Don;t forget to check out the video recipe.
Tips for making Idli Sambar
Plan ahead - If plan to make a homemade batter plan ahead of time as the process of soaking and fermenting the batter takes a while. Taste and texture - The taste and the texture of Idlis depends on how good the batter is, the rice to water ratio, the lentil to water ratio, how well the batter is fermented. The taste of the Sambar depends on the ingredients you add to it, the kind of sambar powder, the veggies the sweetener, the tang etc. Thus Sambar tastes different in different regions, homes and restaurants. Pot-in-Pot - We love making sambar using the pot-inpot method as it’s such a time saver plus you don’t have to clean extra utensils and the veggies are cooked just right!
My Idlis don’t turn out soft and spongy
As I mentioned before that the trick to make soft and spongy idlis is the perfect batter. The taste and the texture of Idlis depends on how good the batter is, the rice to water ratio, the lentil to water ratio, how well the batter is fermented. We will share a post on how to make your own idli batter at home soon.
Idli Sambar Serving Ideas
The best way to serve Idli Sambar is to serve piping hot Sambar with warm Idlis dunken in it. Or some like their sambar and idli seperate, pair it with a green, white or red coconut chutney and it’s yum!
Is Idli Sambar vegan and gluten-free?
Yes! This recipe calls for using oil and is gluten-free too.
Where to buy the Idli steamer rack or mold?
You can find more lentil recipes and rice recipes on the blog. WHEN YOU TRY THIS INSTANT POT IDLI SAMBAR RECIPE Don’t forget to take a picture and send it our way. You can tag us on Instagram@dbellyrulesdmind We would love to hear how they turned out for you so don’t forget to come back and leave us a review below and rate this recipe. If you liked this recipe, share it with your friends and family.
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Tips for making Idli Sambar
Plan ahead - If plan to make a homemade batter plan ahead of time as the process of soaking and fermenting the batter takes a while.Taste and texture - The taste and the texture of Idlis depends on how good the batter is, the rice to water ratio, the lentil to water ratio, how well the batter is fermented. The taste of the Sambar depends on the ingredients you add to it, the kind of sambar powder, the veggies the sweetener, the tang etc. Thus Sambar tastes different in different regions, homes and restaurants.Pot-in-Pot - We love making sambar using the pot-inpot method as it’s such a time saver plus you don’t have to clean extra utensils and the veggies are cooked just right!
Tabakh Stainless Steel Baby Mini Idli Stand, Makes 25 Mini Idlys Tabakh Stainless Steel for 16 Idlis Unrefined, Virgin Coconut Oil Whole Red Dried Chillies Organic Black Mustard Seed Cumin Seed Whole LG Hing (Asafoetida) Thai Kitchen Organic Gluten Free Lite Coconut Milk Organic Jaggery Tamicon Tamarind Paste MTR Sambar Powder 24 mantra Organic Split Pigeon Pea (Toor Dal) Steamer Rack Trivet with Handles Compatible for Instant Pot 6 & 8 qt Accessories - Great for Lifting out Springform Pan / Cheesecake Pan Stackable Steamer Insert Pans with Sling - Instant Pot Accessories for 6, 8 Qt - Stainless Steel Food Steamer for Pressure Cooker & Pot in Pot Accessories - Cook 2 foods at Once Mealthy MultiPot 9-in-1 Programmable Slow and Pressure Cooker Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt 10-in-1 Instant Pot DUO60 6 Qt 7-in-1 Multi-Use Programmable Pressure Cooker, Slow Cooker, Rice Cooker, Steamer, Sauté, Yogurt Maker and Warmer
