Chana Sundal is a dish made with white chickpeas with a tempering of spices and a generous amount of grated fresh coconut. You can serve this warm chickpeas dish as a snack, warm salad or as a side dish.
Sundal is very easy to prepare and you can eat chana Sundal as a healthy snack. I mostly like to serve it with a fresh cup of masala chai or coffee at teatime in the evenings. This is a good protein-rich snack option. You can make it in a few minutes and that makes it a healthy tiffin item for kids lunch boxes.
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What Is Sundal?
Sundal is basically a South Indian style stir-fried dish. You can prepare Sundal with legumes and lentils. You can make Sundal with whole moong beans, Sprouts, peanuts, black-eyed peas, brown chickpeas and corn etc.
Sundal recipes are prepared on South Indian festival days like Vinayaka Chaturthi, Navratri fasting and Janamasthami etc. Chana Sundal is offered to God as a Prasad and then distributed to devotees.
Why Do We Love This Sundal Dish?
Soft Chickpeas with tempering and flavour of mustard seeds, curry leaves and fresh coconut tastes super delicious.
It is a healthy snack or side dish.
It is a naturally gluten-free and vegan dish. To make it gluten-free either skip hing or use gluten-free asafoetida.
Ingredients for Chana Sundal
Chickpeas/Chana: You can use canned chickpeas or dried chickpeas. I always use dried chickpeas. You need to cook chickpeas after soaking them overnight before making Sundal. If you are using canned chickpeas. Simply drain the liquid and use chickpeas after rinsing them.
Spices & Seasoning: Asafoetida, Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, salt
Green chillies: It adds the required amount of spice and heat to the dish. You can add 1 or 2 green chillies as per your tolerance level.
Curry leaves: This is a must. It adds a nice aroma as well as flavour.
Lemon Juice: Traditionally raw mangoes are added to the dish. But if raw mangoes are not available all year round you can use a few drops of lime or lemon juice.
Coconut: Fresh or frozen grated coconut to add after preparing Sundal.
Cucumber: Traditionally cucumber is not added in sundal recipe. I like to add chopped cucumber this adds a refreshing taste and crunch in chana sundal.
How To Make Chana Sundal?
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- If You are using dried chickpeas: Soak Chickpeas in water overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Drain out water, rinse the chickpeas and pressure cook in salted water.
- If You are using canned chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas, put them in a saucepan cover with plenty of water and cook them in a saucepan.
- Take a pan or wok and heat oil on medium heat. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin. When the seeds start to splutter add curry leaves and green chillies. (PHOTO 1)
- Cook them for a minute.
- Add urad dal and whole red chillies. (PHOTO 2)
- Cook them for a couple of minutes on low heat. (PHOTO 3)
- Add cooked and drained chickpeas. (PHOTO 4)
- Now cook everything for 2-3 minutes and add grated fresh coconut and salt. (PHOTO 5)
- Stir well and add a few drops of lime juice I have also added chopped cucumber (Not a traditional addition). (PHOTO 6)
- Mix all of these and enjoy!
Variations Of Chana Sundal?
There is another variation of Sundal known as KondaKadalai Sundal. This is a black chickpeas Sundal, also known as the Kala Chana Sundal recipe.
More Such Recipes
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Chana Masala
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Green Beans Poriyal
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Vegetable Kurma
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Lemon Rice
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Rava Idli
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Chana Pulao
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Punjabi Chana Masala
-
Chana Aloo (Chickpeas Potato) Recipe
📖 Recipe
Chana Sundal
Equipment
- pressure cooker
- Non-Stick Pan (US)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- ⅕ teaspoon asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 green chilli
- 20 Curry leaves
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 red chillies dried
- 2 tablespoon fresh coconut grated
- 1 tablespoon lime Juice
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- If You are using dried chickpeas: Soak Chickpeas in water overnight or a minimum of 6 hours. Drain out water, rinse the chickpeas and pressure cook in salted water.
- If You are using canned chickpeas. Rinse the chickpeas, put them in a saucepan covered with plenty of water and cook them in a saucepan.
- Take a pan or wok and heat oil on medium heat. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds and cumin. When the seeds start to splutter add curry leaves and green chillies.
- Cook them for a minute.
- Add urad dal and whole red chillies.
- Cook them for a couple of minutes on low heat and then add cooked and drained chickpeas.
- Now cook everything for 2-3 minutes and add grated fresh coconut and salt.
- Stir well and add a few drops of lime juice. Mix and enjoy!
THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVOURITES SINCE CHILDHOOD.. THANK YOU.