Chickpea Dal Sundal Recipe with step by step pictures. Sundal is a tempered and dry food made from pulses and groundnuts. Sundal recipes come from Tamil Nadu cuisine. This Kadlai Parupu Sundal is a delicious sundal variant made with cooked Bengal gram which is then mixed with spices, curry leaves and coconut. Makes an excellent vegan, healthy side dish.
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Chana dal sundal tastes so good with the nutty taste of chana dal in every bite.
Making sandal with various beans or peas adds an extra dose of protein to a vegetarian meal. Chana dal sundal is also called as Kadalai parupu sundal where the Tamil word for chana dal is ‘kadalai parupu’.
Making sundal is very easy. Various varieties of Sundal are prepared and served to the Goddess during Navratri festival. For the nine days of the Navratri festival, one Sundal is made and offered to the Goddess every day. They are also prepared during Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi.
I have shared some sundal recipes before:
- Rajma Sundal
- Sweet Corn Sundal
- Chana Sundal Recipe (White Chickpeas)
- Konda Kadlai Sundal Recipe (Kala Chana Sundal)
Sundal can be made on regular days also. Usually, I make the traditional recipe of sundal without adding any masala or spices. So when I make Rasam or Vathal Kuzhambu, I also make Poriyal or Sundal as a side dish.
For Chana Dal Sundal, you need to take care while cooking Chana Dal. They will not become too soft or pasty. Chickpeas should be cooked well, yet retain their shape. You can choose to cook chana dal in a pot or pan or in a pressure cooker.
For this recipe I soaked chickpeas and then cooked them in a pan. If cooking in a pressure cooker, cook the soaked chickpeas for 1 whistle on medium heat.
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Sundals can be served as a side dish with the main course or you can eat them as a snack. Chickpea Dal Sundal tastes very nice and you can have it as a snack.
Step by step guide
How to make Chana Dal Sundal Recipe
a) Soak chickpeas
1. Wash 1 cup of chickpeas several times in water. Take lentils in a bowl and add 1.5 cups of hot boiling water.
Cover the pot with a lid and soak the chickpeas for an hour. You can even soak chana dal in water (at room temperature) for 3 to 4 hours or overnight.
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2. Then drain all the water.
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b) Cooking chickpeas
3. Add soaked chickpeas to a pan.
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4. Add 2.5 cups of water.
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5. Add half a teaspoon of salt and stir.
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6. Place the pan on the stove.
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7. Cover with a lid and start cooking the chana dal on medium-low to medium flame. Alternatively, you can cook chickpeas for 1 whistle in a stovetop pressure cooker.
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8. When the water starts to boil (after about 7 to 8 minutes), remove the lid and cook the chickpeas uncovered on medium flame.
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9. Check the chickpeas at intervals while cooking.
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10. Cook the lentils until they are fully cooked and still hold their shape. Check a few lentils for doneness. It takes about 30 minutes to cook soaked chana dal in a pan.
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11. Then drain all the water and keep the cooked lentils aside.
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Making sundal of chickpeas
12. Heat 2 tbsp oil in another pan or kadai. Keep the heat low and add 1 teaspoon of mustard.
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13. Then add 1 teaspoon of urad dal.
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14. Fry both mustard and urad dal frequently on low flame.
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15. Fry till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden.
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16. Then add 10 to 12 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry chillies (broken and seeds removed) and 1 pinch of hing (asafoetida).
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17. Mix and fry for a few seconds until the red chilies change color.
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18. Now add cooked chickpeas or kadlai parupu.
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19. Add salt as per taste.
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20. Mix very well and fry on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. If there is any moisture or liquid in the chickpeas, cook till the moisture dries up.
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21. Finally add ¼ cup fresh coconut.
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22. Mix and turn off the heat.
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23. Serve Chana Dal Sundal as a snack or as a side to your daily meals. Garnish with some fresh coconut or few coriander leaves if you like.
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Some more delicious Bengali chickpea recipes on the blog are:
- Cholar dal
- Gourd chickpeas
- Chickpeas
Please be sure to rate the recipe on the recipe card or leave a comment below if you’ve made it. For more vet inspiration, sign up for my email or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
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Chickpeas are sundal Kadlai Parupu Sundal
Chana dal sundal is a dry dish made with tempered and cooked chana dal, few spices and fresh coconut. Chana dal sundal is also called Kadalai parupu sundal where the Tamil word for chana dal is ‘kadlai parupu’.
Q. Time 1 hours
cooking time 35 minutes
total time 1 hours 35 minutes
Prevent your screen from going dark while making the recipe
Soaked chickpeas
Wash 1 cup of chickpeas several times in water. Take lentils in a bowl and add 1.5 cups of hot boiling water. Cover and soak the chana dal for an hour.
Then drain all the water.
Cooking chickpeas for sundal
Add soaked chickpeas to a pan and add 2.5 cups of water.
Also add ½ tsp salt and stir.
Place the pan on the stove.
Cover with a lid and start cooking the chana dal on medium-low to medium flame. Alternatively, you can cook chickpeas for 1 whistle in a pressure cooker.
When the water starts to boil, open the lid and cook the chickpeas uncovered on medium flame.
Check chana dal (kadlai parupu) at intervals while cooking.
Cook the lentils until they are fully cooked and still hold their shape. Check a few lentils for doneness.
Then drain all the water and keep the cooked lentils aside.
Sundal of chickpeas is prepared
Heat 2 tbsp oil in another pan or kadai. Keep the heat low and add 1 tsp mustard and 1 tsp urad dal.
Saute both mustard and urad dal frequently on low flame.
Fry till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turns golden.
Then add 10 to 12 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry chillies and 1 pinch of hing (hing).
Mix and fry for a few seconds until the red chilies change color.
Now add cooked chickpeas or kadlai parupu.
Add salt to taste.
Mix very well and fry on low flame for 2 to 3 minutes. If there is any moisture or liquid in the chickpeas, cook till the moisture dries up.
Finally add ¼ cup fresh coconut.
Mix and switch off the flame.
Serve with chickpea dal sundal. Garnish with some fresh coconut or few coriander leaves if you like.
- This recipe can be halved
- If cooking in a pressure cooker, soak the lentils in hot water for an hour. Then pressure cook for 1 whistle on medium flame.
- You can add more coconut if you want.
- Sundal also tastes good when served with a drizzle of lemon juice over the chickpeas.
nutrients
Chickpeas are sundal Kadlai Parupu Sundal
No. per job
calories 120 45 calories from fat
% Daily Value*
thick 5 grams8%
1 gram of saturated fat6%
Sodium 298 mg13%
potassium 9 mg0%
carbohydrates 15 grams5%
6 grams of fiber25%
Sugar 1 gram1%
protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 64 IU1%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1 mg67%
Vitamin B3 (niacin) 14 mg70%
Vitamin C 25 mg30%
Vitamin E 1 mg7%
Vitamin K 1µg1%
calcium 49 mg5%
Vitamin B9 (folate) 148µg37%
iron 1 mg6%
magnesium 3 mg1%
Phosphorus 6 mg1%
zinc 1 mg7%
* Percent Daily Value is based on a 2000 calorie diet.
This Chana Dal Sundal post has been updated from the archives first published in January 2018 and republished in January 2023.
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