Sundal, any kind of them, shouldn’t be restricted to Navarathri (Navarathri is a festival, celebrated all over India for 9 nights during the month of Sept-oct and varieties of this dish are made during the nine days). Something as nutritious and simple like this that focus on minimum chopping and cooking is a great snack as well as unexpected filler you would imagine for side dish for any kind of sambhar/rasam and rice on those “no vegetables in fridge” day.

The other sundal recipes that you may like to try from the website: Peanuts sundal, Chickpeas sundal, Black Chicpeas sundal (Click on the name to the get the recipe)

Serves: 2 – 3
Soaking time: Overnight in cold water/4 hours in hot water.
Preparation time: 25 mins
Recipe and Preparation: Amma

Ingredients you will need:

1 cup Green dried peas
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
Curry leaves – A few
1/8 tsp asafoetida
3 tbsp Grated coconut
Salt to taste

To roast and grind:
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tbsp Bengal gram
2-3 dry red chilies

Preparation:

Soak the dried peas overnight or in hot water in a hot pack for 4 hours. Discard the water and pressure cook the soaked dried peas with 3 cups of water and 1/2 tsp of salt. Cook for 3 whistle. The dried peas should be tender and soft but not mushy. If the peas are not cooked in 3 whistles, cook them in pot with boiling water so that this way you can check the peas till cooked well, as pressure cooking again after 3 whistles overcooks the peas and when cooked with other ingredients, they become mushy. Drain and the water in which it was cooked. Do not discard, use it for making any curry/gravy.

In a pan, dry roast the Bengal gram, whole red chili and coriander seeds till aromatic. Note: The coriander seeds tend to burn very fast, roast in low flame till they change in color. Grind to a coarse powder when cooled and set aside.

Heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds. As they start to crackle, add curry leaves, asafoetida and add the cooked-drained peas. Sprinkle 1 tbsp (or 2, to taste) of roasted-ground spice powder and salt to taste.

Mix well on medium flame and cook for a minute or two stirring continuously (this will ensure even coating of spice powder and all the flavor will blend in) and add grated coconut just before removing from heat, Serve hot.

Happy Cooking