Sundal is a traditional South Indian dish made with cooked legumes, spices, and coconut.
It’s a savory and delicious dish that is light and filling.
The combination of the spices, coconut, and legumes make it an irresistible and exotic dish that is sure to please the palate.
What are the main ingredients for a sundal recipe?
The main ingredients in a sundal recipe are legumes and spices.
There are many different types of legumes used in a sundal recipe.
Some of the most commonly found legumes used in traditional dishes include, but are not limited to:
- Chana dal or Bengal gram (chickpeas)
- Bengal gram (chickpeas)
- Moong or green gram
- Masoor or red kidney beans
- Dal (black gram or white gram) or split black gram
- Split moong/green gram
- Urad (black chickpeas)
How long does it take to make a sundal recipe?
Like most traditional Indian dishes, a sundal recipe is simple to make and requires no more than 30 minutes of cooking time.
The preparation time will depend on the variety of legume used in the recipe and most recipes are cooked in a pressure cooker because it’s quicker to cook legumes in the pressure cooker.
If you choose to cook the dish on the stove top, it will take longer to prepare.
Below is a step by step illustration of how to make a sundal recipe at home:
- Prepare the ingredients according to your cooking method.
- Wash and drain the legumes.
- Soak them overnight or at least six hours if you don’t have time to soak them.
- Add the spices and mix well.
- Cut and grind the coconut as shown in image above.
It isn’t necessary for every step to be done.
However, it is essential that you follow each step carefully in order for the recipe to turn out well.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy recipe for a sundal, we recommend making this Sundal Recipe.
It’s quick, tasty, and easy to cook.
What are some unique variations of a sundal recipe?
There are many unique variations of a sundal recipe, and they all start with the same ingredients.
Sundal is a versatile dish that can be prepared in several ways.
Here are some common variations:
Dal Sundal
This is one of the most popular and easiest sundal recipes, and is made with boiled whole dried legumes.
This sundal recipe is perfect for a quick meal, as it contains all the necessary ingredients to make it.
The dal is cooked in a pressure cooker until it turns into a creamy paste.
The paste is then added to cooked rice, freshly chopped green chillies and fresh coriander leaves.
What is the most popular sundal recipe?
The most popular sundal recipe is the Chilaka and it is a spicy and savory dish made with cooked lentils, spices, and coconut.
A Kerala style Sundal makes use of chicory (or dal), coconut, and spices, which is a slightly thicker version than the chilaka and the different types of sundal have slightly different quantities of ingredients.
Sundals are similar to soups in that they are traditionally served with rice as part of a meal.
However, they are also popularly served to be eaten on their own during lunch or dinner.
Is there any special equipment needed to make a sundal recipe?
While it is possible to cook a sundal recipe in your own kitchen, most people prefer to buy their ingredients from a local grocery store or supermarket.
When you buy your sundal ingredients, be sure to pay close attention to the expiration date because once it expires, it can start to lose some of its flavor.
If you plan on cooking the dish for a large group, purchase a large container or box that can easily fit into your refrigerator.
This will allow you to quickly and easily prepare a large quantity of food at one time.
What are the health benefits of a sundal recipe?
A sundal recipe is an easy, convenient and healthy way to get your daily dose of protein, iron, and other nutrients.
There are several ways to make a sundal recipe.
One of the most common recipes is to simply boil legumes, spices, and coconut in water for a few minutes until the beans are soft.
You can also use cooked lentils or cooked beans instead.
If you’re trying to cut down on carbs and fats, try using cooked millet or cooked brown rice instead of white rice.
It’s a good idea to add a bit of salt to the mix to bring out the flavors.
Are there any tips and tricks to making a sundal recipe?
The important part of a sundal recipe is to soak the beans well.
This ensures that the beans are soft and tender, and also removes any skin that may have been on them.
If you don’t want to soak the beans then you can use canned beans instead.
A simple way to remove the skins from the beans is to boil them for about 10 minutes in water.
This will soften the skins and make it easier to remove them without much effort.
You can also use a hand blender to blend the skins off.
If you’re looking for a simple and healthy dish to prepare, then Sundal recipe is a great option.
It is low in calories and has all the essential ingredients to help you with your weight loss goal.
What are the most common spices used in a sundal recipe?
There are so many spices used to make a sundal recipe.
And the most common ones include coriander seeds, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, ginger, garlic, turmeric, curry leaves, and red chili powder.
In addition to these spices, coconut is also widely used in a sundal recipe.
The coconut is grated and added to the mixture.
It has a distinct flavor that complements the other ingredients and gives a unique taste to the dish.
Is a sundal recipe suitable for vegetarians?
The word “sundal” is often used in the South Indian region to describe a stew made with dal (a type of split pea) and coconut.
The dish is typically garnished with cilantro and often eaten with rice.
The lentils are cooked along with a few other ingredients that provide flavor and texture.
Legumes, coconut, and spices form the base of a sundal recipe, but it’s up to you to decide which legumes you want to use.
Sundal recipes are typically vegan and vegetarian friendly.
If you’re okay with meat, then you can make a sundal recipe without the meat.
You can even add meat if you want, but you’ll have to make sure that it’s cooked separately from the rest of the beans and lentils.
For example, if you use chicken for your sundal recipe, make sure that it is cooked separately from the legumes.
How can you customize a sundal recipe to your own tastes?
A sundal recipe is a type of dal cooked with spices and coconut.
The coconut serves as a thickener, but the other ingredients provide a delicate flavor that plays off the spices.
Some recipes call for the ingredients to be cooked in a pressure cooker, which makes the dish even faster to prepare.
However, if you are using a pressure cooker, try to use one that does not heat up to high temperatures as it can result in burning the food.
The first time I had a sundal was at my cousin’s house.
It was a special occasion and all of my cousins were there.
My cousin taught me how to make it in her pressure cooker and I thought it looked delicious.
But when I tasted it, I was disappointed because it was so bland!
I decided to make my own version using an electric pressure cooker.
I discovered that cooking legumes in an electric pressure cooker is much faster than cooking them in a normal stovetop pressure cooker.
If you want to try making your own, check out my homemade chicken curry recipe that uses leftover chicken and vegetables.
It takes 10 minutes to cook on high and 5 minutes on low.
You can serve this dish with rice or roti.
If you choose to make your own roti, make sure you use whole wheat flour instead of white, and treat yourself to some Indian Basmati rice.
Equipment
- Pan
Ingredients
For Cooking Channa
- 1 cup dried white chickpeas chole or safed chana
- 4 cups water for pressure cooking
More Sundal Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal spilt skinned black gram
- 1 pinch asafoetida hing
- 2 dry red chilies broken and seeds removed
- 12 curry leaves
- 2 to 3 tablespoons coconut fresh grated
- salt as required
Instructions
Preparation
- Rinse and soak the chickpeas in enough water overnight.
- Drain the soaked chickpeas and rinse them several times. Cook the soaked chickpeas in a pressure cooker with 1 teaspoon salt and 3 to 4 cups water until tender and soft.
- Chickpeas can be cooked in a pressure cooker on the stovetop or in an Instant Pot.
- Cook chickpeas in a stovetop pressure cooker for 12 to 15 minutes on medium heat, or longer if necessary, until tender and soft.
- Remove the cooked chickpeas from the water and set them aside.
Producing Channa Sundal
- In a pan, heat the oil. Combine the mustard seeds and urad dal in a mixing bowl. Cook on a low heat, stirring frequently.
- The mustard seeds will start to crackle, and the urad dal will brown.
- On a low heat, they cook almost simultaneously.
- Add the curry leaves, red chilies, and asafoetida right away. Fry for 10–15 seconds, or until the curry leaves are crisp and the red chilies have changed color.
- Now stir in the cooked chickpeas and season with salt. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the coconut. Stir everything together thoroughly.
- Serve the Channa Sundal to the deities as prashad or naivedyam.
Video
Nutrition
My blog is all about creating delicious meals with ingredients that are easy to find in your local grocery store. I’m passionate about making yummy meals that I can share with my friends and family.