Tingle-UR-Tastebuds

As Navratri is going on, all must be busy with keeping Kolu in house and inviting people to the house for seeing the kolu. At that time all prepare a variety of sundal to be offered to God as prashad/prashatham and the same is given to all who visit the house. Yes it’s easy to prepare these sundal varieties and I am sure most of us know this very well as its done in every single house. Just wanted to keep a collection of navratri dishes as it might be useful to someone sometime.

Another information on these navratri is that we chettiar community do not put up kolu in the houses. Its just we pray on saraswathy pooja day by offering some variety of sundal and pori kadalai to god. On this day we keep the books we learn in front of Saraswathy Devi picture in the pooja room and pray to god to give knowledge. The same day is also ayutha pooja, for which we clean all the machinery and vehicles and decorate it with santhanam and kunkumam. This is how we celebrate.

But most of the South Indian’s keep kolu and these 9 days are very special.

So lets get to making sundal. Hope Some one would find this post useful.

Cuisine: Indian(South) | Category: Navratri Recipes | Soaking time: 7 – 8 hrs | Prep time: 10 mins |

Cook time: 20 mins | Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Kala Chana – 1/2 cup
• Coconut – 2 tbsp. (grated)
• Salt as needed

To Temper

• Mustard/Kadugu – Less than 1/4 tsp.
• Urad dal – 1 tbsp.
• Red chilies – 2 small.
• Curry leaves – few leaves

METHOD

• Soak the kala chana overnight or atleast for 7 – 8 hrs.
• Transfer the chana to a pressure cooker and add 1 inch water above the chana.
• Add required amount of salt.
• Allow one whistle to come with high flame and then simmer it for 15 mins.
• Allow the pressure to release and then open the pressure cooker. Check if it is cooked.
• Now take oil in a vessel and temper mustard, urad dal, red chilies and curry leaves.
• After that add the cooked and drained kala chana and mix everything well.
• Finally add the grated coconut and give a quick stir and then switch off the stove.
• Now the kala chan sundal is ready to be offered to God. After which it can be served to all.

Note : Soaking the Kala Chana for 7 – 8 hrs is important. Otherwise its difficult to cook the chana.

I like to add more urad dal you can reduce it also. Allowing the urad dal to brown gives a crunchy effect.

Adding correct amount of salt in the water while cooking the chana is important as we cannot taste the sundal until we offer it to God.

Adding Coconut can be avoided if you don’t like or if any health issues.

Visual clicks

The Kala Chana Sundal is ready to be served to God. Try and let me know if you liked it.