In our home, M and I love a piping hot bowl of sambar sadham but the children are not fond of it. They call it the Goopy Goulash. This name is from the children’s book The Show Must go on by Kate Klise. The humble sambar sadham was named ‘The Goopy Goulash‘ by our daughter who had read this book when she was younger…..yup!! It is a great book, do check it out.

Coming back to the sambar sadham, it is traditionally made with raw rice and Split toor dal (Pigeon peas). But to add some more protein and fiber to it I have used Organic White Quinoa. This recipe is a blend of Quinoa, Rice and Toor Dal.

It can be made as a one pot meal in one single step or like in this recipe, make the 2 components separately and mix it together in the end. Delish nonetheless.

Ingredients :

PART 1 :
Organic white quinoa 3/4 cup
Raw rice, medium grain 1/4 cup
Toor Dal 1/2 cup 
*(soaked for 30 minutes in hot water)
Salt to taste
Sesame oil (untoasted) 1 teaspoon
Turmeric Optional

How to :
Rinse 2 to 3 times the quinoa, raw rice and toor dal.
Add them to a pressure cooker or Instant Pot with enough salt and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Turmeric optional.
Let it cook on medium heat for about 15 minutes. We like it well cooked. If you want it less mushy, cook for 10 minutes. 

PART 2: 
Vegetables of your choice like : carrots, green beans, potatoes,squash, bell peppers - about 2 cups 
Sliced onion - 1 small 
Sambar powder 2 Tablespoon
Tamarind paste 1 Tablespoon
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida 1/8 teaspoon
Curry leaves 4-5 leaves
Sesame oil 1 Tablespoon
Powdered jaggery 1 teaspoon

For Tempering : 
Ghee 1 tablespoon
Small black mustard seeds 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds 1/2 teaspoon
Raw peanuts - we go crazy - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves 3-4
*Homemade fresh sambar powder 1 Tablespoon* 
(completely optional)

• Add sesame oil to a saucepan. Once it heats up, add the sliced onions and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the bell pepper, 1/4 teaspoon salt,asafoetida and turmeric powder and saute for another 2 minutes on medium high heat.
• Next, add the 2 cups of mixed veggies to the pan and add 2 cups of hot water, sambar powder and the tamarind paste.
• Cover and let cook for 3 minutes. We like the veggies with a bite and not cooked all the way through to a mush.
• Check for doneness, veggies should be fork tender, no raw tamarind smell…as in your tummy should start rumbling from the olfactory feast 😉 !
• Open the pressure cooker with the quinoa rice dal and add this veggie mixture to it. Mix until well combined and check salt level.
• Add more hot water if you want it soupy. Water can dilute salt level, so keep checking for salt.
• Now add the powdered jaggery for that mild sweetness (Optional)
• Add the tempering over the quinoa and enjoy the fruits of your labor !!