I love food. Do I have to say it again and again?? :):):):) Some dishes are flavorful even without many spices. Fewest ingredients sometimes give wonderful dishes and more so ever they are so easy to prepare and mostly healthier as well!!!! Sundal, a very mild chickpea recipe from Chennai was served hot at my friend’s place when she invited me for Laxmi Poojan few weeks back. I fell in love with this dish at the first bite (Love at first BITE!! :):):) ). So here follows the recipe – I have altered it very slightly by adding curry leaves and asaefotida for health reasons as chickpeas are not easily digestable by everyone. I have also used this basic recipe with addition to few freshly cut veggies to make my own salad!!!!
Ingredients:
1 cup white chickpeas, soaked overnight with 1/2 teaspoon salt Or 1 can
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
pinch of asaefotida
1 tsp urad dal soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 dried red chilly
3-4 fresh curry leaves
2 1/2 tbsp freshly grated coconut ( frozen or dry works too)
1/2 teaspoon salt or adjust to taste
Method:
1. Drain the soaked or canned chickpeas. Wash off the canned chickpeas well.Boil 1 cup water in a sauce pan and the drained chickpeas. Let cook in constant boiling water for 5-7 minutes. Remove and drain completely – the chickpeas should be cooked right – not too mushy not too hard. Drain the urad dal as well.
2. in the same sauce pan – add oil. When heated add mustard seeds, when they splutter add the asaefotida and urad dal curry leaves, red chilly broken to 3-4 big pieces.
3. add grated coconut and mix well. cook for about 30 minutes on medium heat making sure that the coconut does not get toasted.
4. Now add the chickpeas and mix well. add salt as required and serve hot. Traditionally this is served as side-dish but I consume it as salad sometimes by adding little lemon juice and mixing with fresh cut avocados, tomatoes and cucumber!!!
India - Art, Culture, Recipe & Fashion 
Leave a comment