Chana Sundal Recipe (Kondakadalai Sundal)

Chana sundal is a simple South Indian stir-fry made with pressure cooked chickpeas, tossed in a simple, tempering (Tadka) of mustard, urad dal and curry leaves, finished with coconut. Make this for during Ganesh chaturthi festival, Navaratri golu or anytime you want a protein packed evening snack.

Check out my collection of Ganesh Chaturthi recipes in my website and Navaratri sundal recipes for 9 days.

You can make the same with black chana too. I love both channa white and the brown/black.

Jump to:

• What is Sundal?
• Cooking hack
• Difference
• Stepwise photos
• Top tips
• My notes
• Substitutions & Variations
• Storage
• Troubleshooting
• FAQs
• Recipe card

What is Sundal?

Sundal is a South Indian dish in which we use various legumes or lentils like chana dal, moong dal, at times, to make a stir fry, often a simple tempering with mustard, urad dal, asafoetida, curry leaves and garnished with Coconut.

There are many variations in the method, but basic preparation remains same. Changing the legumes, we can make a wide range of sundal.

I often make chana masala or pindi chana for Aj. Sundal, I make only very rarely, but I love it.

This year we are not celebrating the festival as paati passed away, so made it last week and clicked too. Very simple recipe, but flavorful one.

Chana or kondakadalai is how we call. But when I was studying in Trichy, many of my friends call kondakadalai as Sundal as such.

It was funny for me for a while but then when I heard it from others too, then realized some people also call kondakadalai as sundal!

Cooking hack

How to cook chana perfectly?

Soaking the chana overnight or minimum 10 hours is a must for perfect cooked chana. This is the normal process I follow.

Make sure to wash, drain the soaked water and change to fresh water before cooking.

Adding salt while cooking helps to prevent over cooking and mushy results.

Have less time on hand, forgot to soak?

You can add ¼ teaspoon of cooking soda and pressure cook for 10 whistles in medium flame. Cooking soda helps softening the legume and gives soft cooked chickpeas.

Why this recipe works?

• Overnight soak - Soft results
• Salt during cooking - Non-mushy bite
• Two stage Asafoetida (hing) - Maximum flavor & benefit
• Simple ingredients, easy method

Difference

What is the difference between white chana and black/ brown?

White chana is widely available and commonly used these days. It is cream in color, bigger when compared to the black chana.

It's softer skin and texture than the other one. Where as on the other hand, kala chana/ black chana/ brown variety is smaller, skin is thicker and have a slight dense texture.

I love both for it's own quality, but folks at home say brown chana has more nutritional value.

Stepwise photos

Cook chana

1. To start with, wash and soak chana overnight and drain the water, wash it again. Add fresh water.
2. After that, pressure cook it with salt and water just to immerse it for 4 - 5 whistles.

Temper sundal

3. Then continue by heat kadai with oil and temper with the items given under 'To temper' table. Add the cooked channa drained from water.

4. Continue by stirring for 2 minutes until moisture evaporates and add the grated coconut and fry for a minute. Transfer to the serving bowl.

Delicious chickpea sundal is ready… It's a guilt free, healthy snack!

Top tips

• If you soaked for a short time, skip salt while cooking. Add while making sundal, with little water to let it incorporate.
• Reserve and add a little chana cooked water for moist results.
• If you are making on days other than navratri fasting, you can add your own favorite ingredients.

My notes

My hack to a perfect flavorful sundal is adding asafoetida divided at two stages, one while tempering and one raw along chana. Both give a distinct flavor as my mom says as well as keeps the gastric issue in check when you consume legume.

Add a drizzle of coconut oil, raw (cold pressed virgin oil works best) for an amazing flavor.

Substitutions & Variations

Curry leaves : As much as we love adding curry leaves while tempering, we tend to pick it up and keep aside while eating. Off late, as soon as I get curry leaves, I do not want to waste it. Living abroad and getting curry leaves itself is a luxury. So I wash, pat dry, air dry completely and air fry it, powder and keep in a small container. Add a little bit of it to all possible dishes. So sundal also gets the same, and it gives a great flavour too. You actually consume curry leaves!

Swap red chilli and green chilies as you prefer or according to availability.

In this recipe, you can grind 4 tablespoon coconut, 2 green chilli, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds and cook along the sundal for a different flavour.

Finely chopped onion, mango, coriander leaves can be added for everyday eating (skip it for festival/ prasadam)

Storage

Eat chana sundal fresh within a 3-5 hours as coconut is there. If you want, refrigerate after cooling, in an airtight container for a day. Reheat gently in pan on low flame with a splash of water. Microwaving tends to dry out and dull the flavor, so you can reheat in low powder setting with a splash of water and ½ teaspoon coconut oil for fresh flavor.

Troubleshooting

Chana turns mushy: Stick to 4-5 shistles on medium heat. Do not forget to add salt while cooking as it prevents overcooking.

Sundal turned watery: Make sure to drain the cooked chana well before adding to the pan. Cook in a broad pan to let the extra moisture evaporate.

Chana still hard after cooking: Soak long hours (10 hours or more). At times older legumes need longer soaking time. Cook in low or medium flame as cooking in high flame and getting whistle quickly can result in under cooked chana.

FAQs

What are the ingredients in a sundal recipe?

Sundal is a south Indian legume stir-fry. You temper it with Mustard, chilies, asafoetida, curry leaves and finish with grated fresh coconut. The legume/ beans changes, but the traditional method is largely the same.

Can I make chana sundal without soaking overnight?

Though soaking method gives you the best results and it is the authentic way, you can add ¼ teaspoon cooking soda and pressure cook for 10 whistles in low-medium flame, as a shortcut. The chana may look on a bit drier side.

Related posts

• Kondakadalai sundal
• Chana salad
• Kodakadalai kurma

Recipe card