Brown Rice Sambar Sadam(Brown Rice, Pegion Pea in Vegetable Stew)

Know what you Eat - Brown rice is good source of complex carbohydrate. It provides 15 essential nutrients, including B-vitamins, niacin and potassium. Brown rice is a very good source of selenium, which is essential for thyroid hormone metabolism and immune function. Pigeon peas are nutritionally important, as they contain high levels of protein and three important amino acids.

This is a one pot of dish with complex carbohydrates, protein and the goodness of all the vegetables. Even though it has so many ingredients, when planned right it is the simplest dish with all the nutrition I normally soak brown rice and tamarind overnight, while the brown rice and dal gets coooked, i make the tempering, sambar powder, garnishing and boil the vegetables and keep it ready. Once the cooker is open, then combine all the ingredients and leave it in the stove top and the dish is ready.

Preparation Time - 10 mins
Cooking Time - 30 mins
Serves - 6

Ingredients

Brown Basmati Rice - 1 Cup
Toor Dal - 1 Cup
Water -5 cups
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp


For the sambar

Tamarind - Gooseberry size ball
Pearl Onions - Around 10
Bell pepper Green, Red - 1/2 each
Carrot - 1
Peas - 1/4 Cup
Pumpkin Chopped - 6 (each 1 inch piece)
Green Beans chopped - 1/2 cup
Water for sambar
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp


Sambar Powder

Channa Dal(Bengal Gram) - 2 Table spoons
Coriander Seeds - 1 Table spoon
Red chilli - 4 or to taste
Cinnamon Stick - 2(each 1 inch piece)
Fennel Seeds - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - 2 table spoons
Oil - 1/2 tsp

Tempering

Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asaofoetida powder - pinch
Green chilli - 1
Curry leaves - 2 tbsp

Garnishing

Ghee(Clarified Butter) - 2 tsp
Cashew - 2 tsp
Roasted Peanuts - handful
Cilantro - handful

Method

1) Soak Brown Basmati Rice atleast for an hour in warm water or you can soak it overnight too, soaking improves digestion and includes one more amino acid profile to the nutrition contents.
2) Soak Tamarind ball in little bit of water and keep it aside.
3) Add Toor dal, turmeric powder and water put in pressure cooker and leave it for 4 whistles and simmer it for 5 minutes and switch off.
4) While the brown rice is getting cooked, add 1 tsp of oil in a pan and heat it.
5) Once the oil is hot add the pearl onions and saute for 5 minutes, then add all the vegetables, salt, turmeric powder and just enough water to cook it.
6) Once vegetables are 3/4 cooked add the tamarind pulp and let it boil for 5 more minutes then switch off.
7) Heat a pan, add 1/2 tsp oil then roast all the ingredients for the sambar powder except the coconut. Once all the ingredients are slightly browned then add the grated coconut, saute for 2 minutes and then switch off. Let this cool for a while and grind it into a fine powder and then add it to the boiled vegetable mixture.
8) Now let us finish of the tempering, heat 2 tsp of oil, add mustard seeds, once they stop spluttering add asafoetida, green chilli, fenugreek and curry leaves and then add it to the vegetable mixture. (Adding green chilli to tempering enhances the flavor)
9) Once the brown rice and dal is cooked, remove it and mash it with a masher and then add the vegetable mixture which has the sambar powder and tempering and leave it in the stove top for 5 minutes till all the spices are well mixed and switch off.
10) Garnish with ghee roasted cashews, roasted peanuts and cilantro and serve with Raita of your choice.