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Kondakadalai Sundal—sounds complicated right? In Tamil, Kondakadalai Sundal simply means chickpea sundal or chana sundal. The dish, in case you didn’t know, refers to a simple chickpea stir-fry that’s prepared across the state of Tamil Nadu. The dish is not only savoured by all but also revered for ritual purposes.
In households across the state, Kala Chana Sundal or Kondakadalai Sundal is prepared as an offering to the god. The dish is, in fact, a part of the Naivedyam offering on occasions like Navratri, Vinayak Chaturthi, Varalakshmi Vratham and Pongal. In some key temples across the state, Kondakadalai Sundal is also offered as prasadam.
On the other hand, Sundal is also sold as a popular street food across the beaches and streets of South India. Chennai, particularly, is a hotspot for the dish. That city, especially Marina Beach, has many varieties of Sundal available for tourists and locals alike—some made with horse gram and moong dal, while others with white chickpeas and green gram. Needless to say, this one dish unites an entire state and is consumed by all, even the gods it is offered to!
So, why is Kala Chana Sundal so popular? The reason may simply be the perfect combination of spicy, salty, crispy and umami flavours in a single bowl. It may be the fact that black chickpeas, rather all chickpeas, are considered to be Sattvik or pure for consumption during ritual fasts. It could also be due to the fact that chickpeas are a great source of healthy proteins. They are filling, packed with vitamins and minerals, and when paired with spices, shaved coconuts, etc, they taste lip-smackingly good!
People of all ages love Kala Chana Sundal, which is the reason why it makes for a great evening snack. So, what are you waiting for? Try out this easy Kala Chana Sundal recipe this evening and pair it with some hot tea or filter coffee.
Ingredients:
1 cup black chickpeas or kala chana, boiled
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp asafoetida
½ tsp urad dal
2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 dried red chilli
1 large sprig curry leaves
Salt, to taste
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp coconut, grated
1 tsp lemon juice
Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok. Add the mustard seeds, asafoetida, dried red chilli and curry leaves.
2. Once these stop spluttering, add the urad dal and green chillies.
3. When the urad dal turns slightly brown, add the boiled kala chana.
4. Stir fry the ingredients together for two minutes, then add salt to taste.
5. Mix well, and continue frying until the kala chana are nice and crispy.
6. Garnish the Kala Chana Sundal with grated coconut and lemon juice, mix well and serve.
