For the "sundal" fans!

There is more to it when one talks about the Marina Beach, the longest beach in the world. Any lover of street food and fast food would talk about the delicious “Sundal” sold there by the urchins. However, this cuisine of Marina becomes a regular snack during the nine days of “Golu” or the “Navarathri”, a grand festival celebrated predominantly in South India.

The “Thenga, manga, pattani, sundal” appears in various forms and varieties and is made all through the nine days in all the families who keep this “Golu”. To mention about golu, which almost all South Indian bloggers would have blogged by now, Golu is adorned with dolls arranged on steps made specially for the occasion. The Gods and Goddesses are daintily seated as dolls on the steps.

It is to worship Shakti that Navaratri is celebrated. Shakthi is the embodiment of three powers : iccha shakti (desire), kriya shakti (action), gyana shakti (wisdom). In South India, Navaratri is divided into three parts, each of three nights; the first of the triad is reserved for Lakshmi (wealth), followed by Parvati (courage) and lastly, Saraswati (learning)….It is indeed an irony that in a country where a female child is considered unwanted and also abused , where dowry plays an evil role, a woman is worshipped as the Supreme Power!

Years back, this occasion was fun and extra special to the young girls during these nine days. They wore silk skirts or pavadais, went to each and every house in the neighbourhood and invited each other. They sang songs on Gods and Goddesses, more so with their thoughts on the “sundal” which was offered as ‘naivedhyam” to the Gods and Goddesses in the golu and then distributed at the end when they leave. The sundal was neatly wrapped in a newspaper. By the time the girls reached their homes, they would have made a grand collection of these sundals. The younger kids tagged along with them and collected their sundal packets as well. The men folk waited for the sundals of the neighbourhood. Somehow the sundals of next doors always tasted better to them than the one made at home either by their mom or the wife! Actually, it was a pot-pourri of sundal during those nine days. The days have changed and Navrathri has become a modern celebration but the craze for the sundals remains the same though the mode of packing has changed and sundals are distributed in plastic boxes or plastic wrappers.

Sundal is not difficult to make. There are varieties of sundals which one can prepare , not only during the Navarathri, but also during other days. The channas and other dhals and peas are the main ingredients and are highly nutritious because they contain high protein.

Here are the recipes of sundals which one can make easily:

Kothu Kadalai (Chick Pea) Sundal
Chick Peas - 1 1/2 cups
Grated Coconut - 3 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 2
Curry Leaves - some
Asafetida - a pinch
Oil - 1 tsp

Soak the Kothu kadalai overnight to prepare sundal the next day. Wash and clean the soaked chickpeas and pressure cook the chick peas in water. Decant the water. Heat up the oil and fry the mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida, chilly and curry leaves. Add the coconut and salt and remove from heat. Stir to mix well. Now add the cooked peas and reheat. Stir well for a few minutes.

Pattani (Green Pea) Sundal
Green Peas - 1 1/2 cups

Grated Coconut - 3 tbspSalt - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp

Dry Red Chilly - 2

Curry Leaves a few Oil - 1 tsp

Lemon - 1/2

Mango - a small piece

Soak the peas overnight, wash and clean the soaked peas and cook in water or pressure cook. Decant the water. Do not overcook. Fry the mustard seeds, urad dhal, chilly and curry leaves. Add the coconut and salt and remove from heat. Stir to mix well. Now add the cooked peas and reheat. Stir for a few minutes until the salt and coconut are evenly distributed. Remove from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Add the shredded mango and lemon juice.
There are other sundals which can be made with groundnuts (verkadalai), dhals and rajma also. It depends on the creative thinking of the sundal-maker! Cut onions (can be used on days other than navarathri) and shredded mangoes enhance the taste of the sundals. Visiting friends and relatives for the occasion over a cup of sundal helps in interaction. Navrathri is special not only for the dash of music and dolls but the exhibits of culinary specialities as well!

So let the women come out with more and more creative sundals and contribute to "sundal socialising"!