Kala Chana Sundal Recipe – It is usually prepared during Navratri or Ganesh Chaturthi festival and offered as naivedyam to God. In Tamil, kala chana is called konda kadalai, hence the name Kondai Kadalai Sundal Recipe.
Other than offering as a prasadam, this can be eaten as a light snack or as a side dish with your meal.
Even though the recipe looks simple with very minimal ingredients, the flavors are too good. It has hint of spicy taste from green chilies with fantastic flavors of curry leaves. Addition of juicy fresh coconut and lemon juice at the end perks up the overall flavors.
If raw mangoes are available then add few tablespoons of finely chopped raw mango and skip the lemon juice. This will give the best taste.
Many other sundal varieties are made for Navratri Golu pooja naivedyam. E.g.
Chana sundal (white chickpeas sundal) // Rajma sundal // Peanut sundal
How to make Kala Chana Sundal Recipe (Step by Step Photos):
1) Wash the dry kala chana under running cold water or rinse them 2-3 times.
2) Then soak in enough water for at least 8 hours or overnight.
3) After the soaking time, they get bigger in size. Discard this soaking water.
4) Take chana along with fresh 1 ½ cups of water into the pressure cooker. Cover with the lid, put the weight on. Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on HIGH + 30 minutes on medium-low. Let the pressure go down by itself and open the lid. Check the chana by pressing between thumb and finger, it should mash easily.
5) Now drain the cooking water using strainer. You can use that water in making dal, kneading dough or any gravy dish.
6) Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot add mustard seeds and let them pop.
7) Then add urad dal.
8) Saute till it gets light brown in color.
9) Now add green chili, dried red chili and curry leaves. Saute for 40-50 seconds.
10) Then add boiled chana and salt.
11) Mix and cook for 2 minutes.
12) Now add grated coconut.
13) Mix and cook for a minute. Turn off the stove.
14) Lastly add lemon juice, mix.
Serving suggestion: This is usually served as a prasadam during Navratri golu pooja or Ganesh chaturthi festival. It can be eaten as a snack or served as a side with meal.
Kala Chana Sundal Recipe (How to Make Kondai Kadalai Sundal)
US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml)
Ingredients (1 cup = 240 ml)
- ½ cup Dry Kala chana (black chickpeas or desi chana)
- 1 ½ cups Water for pressure cooking
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- ½ teaspoon Mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon Urad dal (split, skinless black gram)
- 1 Green chili chopped finely
- 1 Dried red chilies
- 8-10 Curry leaves
- Salt to taste
- 2-3 tablespoons Coconut (Fresh or frozen), Grated
- 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Instructions
Pressure cooking kala chana:
- Wash and soak the kala chana in water for 8 hours or overnight.
- Then discard the soaking water. Take chana and fresh 1 ½ cups of water into pressure cooker, cover with lid and put the weight on.
- Cook them for 2 whistles on high + 30 minutes on low-medium heat. Once pressure releases naturally then open the lid and drain the cooking liquid.
Making Kala chana sundal recipe:
- Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat. Once hot, add mustard seeds.
- Once they pop, add urad dal and saute till they are golden brown in color.
- Now add chopped green chili, dried red chili and curry leaves, saute for 30-40 seconds.
- Mix in boiled chana and salt, cook for 2 minutes.
- Now add grated coconut, mix and cook for a minute.
- Turn off the stove and lasting add lemon juice.
