Millet Sambar Sadham

Millet sambar sadham is a creamy lentil and millet porridge recipe loaded with vegetable and flavored by special sambar masala.

Millet sambar sadham has been on my list to try for a while, Recipe with it. Shipping it from India is not an option and also Indian groceries shops here don’t stock them. I laid my hands on millets in Japan in Tomiz and I was so excited to try out. 

Millets are a variety of cereals that is commonly grown in asian and African continents. They are actually seeds and is packed with nutrients. Millets are gluten free and are diabetic friendly and hence is popular among those who look for alternatives to rice. In india millets have been a part of the cuisine since eons. Ragi, Jowar, Barnyard millet, fox tail millets are consumed regularly even now in many homes. 

Millets are rich in Iron, magnesium and in fibre which aids in maintaining healthy digestion. 

In this recipe I have used barnyard millet and you can substitute with foxtail millet in its place. Alternatively you can use quinoa too. 

How to eat Millet sambar sadham

What I love about this recipe is the creamy texture which is like warm hug on a plate, you can serve this with any roasted vegetables as side dish, I served with ladies finger / Okra stir fry and Vathal / Papadam. 

Ingredients required to make millet sambar sadham

• 1 cup Barnyard Millet 
• 1/2 cup Toor Dal 
• 1/4 cup Masoor Dal 
• 1 gooseberry size Tamarind 
• 5 +1 cups Water 
• Water (For veggies) – As required
• 2 tsp Salt (Adjust to taste)
• 1 coin size Jaggery
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 Carrot 
• 5 no.s String beans / Green Beans 
• 1 no. Potato 
• 1/2 cup Green Peas 
• 3/4 Large Onion (Finely chopped)
• 3 no.s Tomatoes (Small Sized)
• 1 no. Drum Sticks 
• 2-3 tbsp MTR Sambar powder or Bisibelabath Powder 
• 1 tbsp Grated coconut (Dry or fresh )
• 1 tbsp Ghee 
• A few Curry Leaves 
• 1/2 tsp Black Mustard seeds 
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• A pinch Asafoetida 
• 1 no. Dry Red chilli 

Prep work before you begin

Wash and Soak the toor dal and masoor dal at least for 6-8 hours and keep it ready. 

Wash the barnyard millet several times until the water runs clean and set aside. 

Cube the carrots, cut the beans to 1/2 inch size pieces, peel the potato and cube into 1.5 cm size. String the drumstick and chop into 1 inch pieces, finely chop the onions, Roughly dice the tomatoes.

Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the pulp and keep it aside.

Alternatives Versions

You can alternatively use rice or the millet varieties in this recipe. I also have a very loved quinoa one pot rasam rice recipe. check out the recipe here. One pot Quinoa Rasam Rice.

Pictorial recipe

In a medium sized pressure cooker, add the toor dal, masoor dal and the barnyard millet, add 5 cups of water, turmeric powder and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and set aside.

Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, open it and add 1 cup of boiling water, salt and mix well till you get a nice mashed consistency of cooked dal and millets. 

Mean while, in a deep pot, add the tamarind water, chopped vegetable – carrots, beans, drumstick, potatoes, green peas, salt, jaggery, sambar powder or bisibelabath powder, onions, tomatoes and cook until all the vegetables are cook tender. 

Now pour in the Veggies and sambar mix into the mashed dal and millet and mix it in. Check for salt and add more if needed. For flavour you can add a tsp of sambar powder on top. 

To make the talippu /Tadka – Heat a small kadai and add ghee into it, once hot add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter fully. Next add in cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilli and cashews. Turn off the heat at this stage and finally add asafoetida. Give it a good mix and allow the cashews to reach a golden brown color. 

Add the thalippu on top of the prepared Millet sambar sadham and Garnish with fresh coconut or dry coconut and serve hot with appalam or your favourite side dish. 

Storage and shelf life

I Prep this recipe and use it in 2 days makes 2 happy healthy lunches on busy week days.

Millet Sambar sadham

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Prep Time 10 mins

Cook Time 45 mins

Total Time 55 mins

Course brunch, Lunch, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Equipment

• Pressure cooker

Ingredients

  

To Pressure cook

• 1 cup Barnyard Millet
• 1/2 cup Toor Dal
• 1/4 cup Masoor Dal
• 5 +1 cups Water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

To Make Sambar

• 1 gooseberry size Tamarind
• Water For veggies – As required
• 2 tsp Salt Adjust to taste
• 1 coin size Jaggery
• 1 Carrot
• 5 no.s String beans / Green Beans
• 1 no. Potato
• 1/2 cup Green Peas
• 3/4 Large Onion Finely chopped
• 3 no.s Tomatoes Small Sized
• 1 no. Drum Sticks
• 2-3 tbsp MTR Sambar powder or Bisibelabath Powder
• 1 tbsp Grated coconut Dry or fresh

Thalippu / Tadka

• 1 tbsp Ghee
• A few Curry Leaves
• 1/2 tsp Black Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• A pinch Asafoetida
• 1 no. Dry Red chilli
• 6-7 no. Cashews

Instructions

 

• In a medium sized pressure cooker, add the toor dal, masoor dal and the barnyard millet, add 5 cups of water, turmeric powder and pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and set aside.
• Mean while, in a deep pot, add the tamarind water, chopped vegetable – carrots, beans, drumstick, potatoes, green peas, salt, jaggery, sambar powder or bisibelabath powder, onions, tomatoes and cook until all the vegetables are cook tender.
• Once the pressure is released from the pressure cooker, open it and add 1 cup of boiling water, salt and mix well till you get a nice mashed consistency of cooked dal and millets.
• Now pour in the Veggies and sambar mix into the mashed dal and millet and mix it in. Check for salt and add more if needed. For flavour you can add a tsp of sambar powder on top.
• To make the talippu /Tadka – Heat a small kadai and add ghee into it, once hot add mustard seeds and allow it to sputter fully. Next add in cumin seeds, curry leaves, dry red chilli and cashews. Turn off the heat at this stage and finally add asafoetida. Give it a good mix and allow the cashews to reach a golden brown color.
• Add the thalippu on top of the prepared Millet sambar sadham and Garnish with fresh coconut or dry coconut and serve hot with appalam or your favourite side dish.

Keyword Barnyard Millet, Millets, Sambar sadham

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