Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Sundal Recipe

Sundal made from Chickpea / Kabuli Chana

It is good to know sundal recipe, because sundal / usli is a great side dish for lunch or dinner.  What is more, it is a nutritious food.  This dish also consumes less oil.  On the day of Ganesh Chaturthi and during Dasara / Dussehra, this food is offered to God and is given to visitors at homes.  Many temples give sundal as prasadam.

Here are some of the legumes from which this food is made:

- Chickpea / kabuli chana / kadale kaalu / kondai kadalai / senagalu

- Green gram / moong / pachai payaru / pesara pappu / hesaru bele

- Black-eyed pea / lobia / alasande kaalu / alachandalu

- Bengal gram / chana dal / senaga pappu / kadale bele / kadalai paruppu

Another trait of sundal recipe you will like is that it is easy to make.

You have to soak some of the legumes in water first, at least for several hours, before you can make sundal. 

The Sprouted Gram Advantage

Use sprouted moong / green gram or kulthi / horse gram for making sundal because the sprouted items are more nutritious.  Another point that will make you use sprouted items is it is easy to sprout moong and kulthi.

Fresh Peas and Avarekalu

In season, use fresh, green peas to make sundal.  It is one of the most delicious and nutritious of all the other types of sundal.

Sundal made from fresh avarekalu / hyacinth beans / surti papdi make it a lip-smacking side dish for chapatis, rotis and dosas.  Like the green peas, avarekalu is available in season.

Sundal as a Snack

If you are hungry between meals, and are at home, it would be good to eat a sundal as a snack, rather than an item like potato chips, to get the health benefits.

Nutrition and Taste

Much of the nutrition in a sundal comes from the legumes, such as the chickpea, green gram and chana dal.  Now, for the taste part.  What ingredients in the sundal recipe make this food tasty? Coconut gratings, hing / asafoetida, lemon juice, green chilies and, of course, the salt makes sundal a treat to eat.

Groundnut Variety

Another variety of sundal recipe uses groundnuts / peanuts.  Either the fresh or dried variety of these can be used.  If you use the later, you have to soak it in water.

Sundal Recipe

Here is the sundal recipe for making this dish with chickpea / kabuli chana:

http://southindianvegrecipes.com/curry_recipes/sundal.html