Sundal - 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup dal of your choice - peanut, white chana, black kondakadalai, green/yellow moong dal, black urad dal

• Salt as required

• 1/4 cup coconut (grated)

• 1/2 lemon juice squeezed (optional)

To grind

• 1 green chilli

• 1 small ginger piece

• Curry leaves

• Handful of grated coconut

To temper

• 2 teaspoons coconut oil

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

• 1.5 teaspoon urad dal

• A pinch of Asafoetida/Perungayam

Instructions

• Rinse and soak the dal of your choice

• If white chana or black kondakadalai soak overnight. If it is peanut, moong or urad dal dry roast for 3 minutes and soak for 15-20 minutes.

• Drain the water. Place the dal in a vessel to pressure cook and add salt. Pressure cook with water level sufficient to immerse the dal, for 5 to 6 whistles on medium flame.

• Add the ingredients mentioned under 'To grind' in a mixie jar and run on pulse mode to a coarse powder.

• Now place a kadai on medium flame. Add the ingredients mentioned under 'To temper' in the specified order.

• Once the mustard seeds splutter and the dal starts turning mild brown, strain the water and add the cooked dal. Mix well.

• Add the ground coarse powder and stir for 2 minutes on medium flame.

• You can squeeze half a lemon if preferred.

Alternate: You can make a sweet Sundal using green moong dal. For this, you can make jaggery syrup, by adding 1/2 cup jaggery (crushed) in water just enough to immerse. Stir on medium flame till the jaggery dissolves (keep the consistency watery). Filter for any impurities. On a kadai, add ghee, and jaggery syrup. Stir till the syrup thickens. Once it is thick and sticky add the boiled dal and cardamom powder and mix well. Enjoy the sweet twist on any day of Navaratri!