Sundal is an easy-to-make, healthy, protein-packed Indian recipe served for breakfast or an evening snack prepared using black or white chickpeas as the main ingredient. This sundal recipe is also popularly prepared during Gowri Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, and served in temples as prasad. It is also prepared on fasting and vrat days as it is a no onion, no garlic recipe.
Check out some of the best Indian recipes for breakfast and quick evening snacks.
What is Sundal?
Sundal is a protein-packed Indian stir fry prepared using chickpeas (black or white), aromatic spices, and coconut. This is traditionally served with sweet poha or spicy poha or sheera and a cup of coffee or tea in the Mangalore Udupi region.
The Authentic temple-style sundal is made using dried chickpeas and that is what we will be preparing today. If using canned chickpeas, you can make this recipe in less than 10 minutes.
Sundal is a Tamil word that means stir-fried peas or chickpeas (black or white) in English, Chane usli or chane upkari in konkani, kadale usli in Kannada, Kondakadalai sundal in Telugu.
This Chickpea stir-fry is vegan and dairy-free, skip the hing to make it gluten-free. You can also add this to your weight loss diet plan.
Sundal for Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, fasting days
During Gowri Ganesh Chaturthi, 9 days of Navratri, Bommai Golu, Varamahalakshmi puja, or any fasting days, sundal is prepared and served for breakfast or even as naivedyam and offered as prasadam.
If you visit any temples on Fridays or navratri, sundal is served as prasadam along with sheera (suji halwa), and sweet poha (panchakajjaya).
Other fasting recipes for the festivals include
Ingredients
Chickpeas: Black chickpeas (kabuli chana) or black chickpeas (kala chana) any one can be used. You can also make this with green peas.
Coconut oil: Authentic flavor comes from this oil. You can use any neutral oil otherwise.
Tempering: mustard seeds, urad dal, green and red chilies and hing.
Jaggery: To balance the flavors.
Coconut: Enhances the flavor and gives the traditional taste. But if you do no like it then skip it.
See the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to cook the chickpeas (channa)?
- Wash and soak the dried chickpeas overnight. Drain the water. (If using canned chickpeas, skip these steps).
- Pressure cooker: Add drained chickpeas with 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Let the first whistle be on high flame and the remaining two on medium flame.
- Instant pot: Add drained chickpeas with 3 cups of water to your IP and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Quick release.
- In both the methods, drain the water (aquafaba) and keep it. Don't discard. You can make simple rasam to serve with steamed rice or add it to soups or pastas.
How to make sundal?
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan or kadai.
- Add mustard seeds; when they start to splutter, add urad dal and saute for a few seconds till it becomes light brown.
- Now chop and add the curry leaves, red chile, and green chili and saute for a few seconds.
- Add cooked chickpeas, asafoetida, jaggery, grated coconut, and salt, and mix well and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. You can sprinkle some water.
- Serve hot with rava sheera or sweet poha (panchakadayi) or spicy poha (teek poha) and enjoy.
Tips
- You can substitute jaggery with brown sugar.
- Black chickpeas (kala channa), green peas, and moong dal can also be used to make sundal.
- Vary the amount of green chili and jaggery as per your taste.
- You can add vegetables like potatoes (aloo), sweet potato (shakarkandi), yam (surnu), raw banana(kele) while pressure cooking the chickpeas.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.
- Traditionally, grated coconut is added, but the amount is varied based on individual choice. If you do not like the flavor of coconut, then skip it.
Recipe FAQs
Sundal is a stir fry recipe prepared using green peas, black or white chickpeas as the main ingredient with traditional Indian tempering.
Yes. Made using legumes or lentils, sundal is considered to be a healthy protein-rich breakfast and snack recipe. One serving contains approximately 11g of protein.
More Indian breakfast recipes
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Recipe card
Sundal | Channa Sundal | Chickpea Stir Fry | Chane Usli
Equipment
- Pressure cooker or Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dried Chickpeas
- 1 tablespoon Coconut oil or Vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon Mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- 1 leaflet Curry leaves
- 1 Red chilies slit
- 2 Green chilli slit
- ¼ teaspoon Asafoetida / hing
- 1 tablespoon Jaggery grated or Brown sugar
- ¼ to ½ cup Grated coconut
- Salt to taste
Instructions
How to cook the chickpeas (channa)?
- Wash and soak the dried chickpeas overnight. Drain the water. (If using canned chickpeas, skip these steps).1 cup Dried Chickpeas
- Pressure cooker: Add drained chickpeas with 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 to 4 whistles. Let the first whistle be on high flame and the remaining two on medium flame.
- Instant pot: Add drained chickpeas with 3 cups of water to your IP and pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Quick release.
- In both the methods, drain the water (aquafaba) and keep it. Don't discard. You can make simple rasam to serve with steamed rice or even add it to soups or pastas.
How to make sundal?
- Heat oil in a non-stick pan or kadai.1 tablespoon Coconut oil
- Add mustard seeds; when they start to splutter, add urad dal and saute for a few seconds till it becomes light brown.1 teaspoon Mustard seeds, 1 teaspoon Urad dal
- Now chop and add the curry leaves, red chile, and green chili and saute for a few seconds.1 leaflet Curry leaves, 1 Red chilies, 2 Green chilli
- Add cooked chickpeas, asafoetida, jaggery, grated coconut, and salt, and mix well and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. You can sprinkle some water while cooking if needed.¼ teaspoon Asafoetida / hing, 1 tablespoon Jaggery grated, ¼ to ½ cup Grated coconut, Salt to taste
- Serve hot with rava sheera or sweet poha (panchakadayi) or spicy poha (teek poha) and enjoy. a cup of coffee or a cup of Indian tea and enjoy.
Notes
- You can substitute jaggery with brown sugar.
- Black chickpeas (kala channa), green peas, and moong dal can also be used to make sundal.
- Vary the amount of green chili and jaggery as per your taste.
- You can add vegetables like potatoes (aloo), sweet potato (shakarkandi), yam (surnu), raw banana(kele) while pressure cooking the chickpeas.
- Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water on the stovetop or microwave until heated through.
- Traditionally grated coconut is added, but the amount is varied based on individual choice. If you do not like the flavor of coconut then skip it.
Nutrition
Note: We originally posted this vegan best pumpkin bread recipe in Oct 2015. It has now been modified in Sep 2023 with Expert Chef Tips, FAQs, Storage Instructions, etc.
Puneet
Yummm........looks so delicious and healthy!!!
Kushi
Thank you Puneet 🙂
veena
healthy and tasty Usli
Kushi
Thank you Veena 🙂
Jolly Homemade Recipes
I tasted this usli first time in Bangalore..Healthy and yummy dish..Thanks for sharing dear 🙂
Kushi
Thank you Jolly 🙂
Farin Ahmed
Yummy usli.addition of jaggery in Chenna is very new to me...
Traditionallymodernfood
Healthy and yummy usli
Kushi
Thank you dear 🙂