Green Gram Sundal: Coconutty Whole Moong Bean

Sundal is a simple legume preparation from south India – a style of cooking in which boiled legumes are tempered with spiced oil and fresh coconut. The sattvic ingredient profile of sundal makes it a popular prasadam (i.e. blessed by the Gods) dish. During the nine days of Navarathri, south Indian homes traditionally offer sundal to their guests, prepared with a different legume each day.

This recipe of green gram sundal uses whole moong bean, also called green gram. Curry leaves are added too in the standard sundal recipe but I prefer the taste of sundal without. Add them in if you wish.

You Need:

[Serves 4]

• Green moong bean/green gram – 3/4 cup
• Coconut – 150 grams
• Green chilies – 2 or 3
• Ginger – 1/2 inch stick
• Salt – to taste
• Jaggery – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon
• Dry red chilies – 1
• Asafoetida – a pinch
• Ghee – 2 teaspoons

In the picture above (from bottom-left): asafoetida, mustard seeds, dry red chili, green chilies, ginger, fresh coconut.

How To Make Green Gram Sundal:

1. Boil green gram

Soak green gram overnight (~7 hours) in 2 cups of water.

Drain and boil till soft but not mushy. The texture of cooked green moong should be firmer than it would be for dal preparations like green gram masala or toor sabut moong dal. [If using an Indian-style pressure cooker, boil with two cups of water on high heat till one whistle, then remove the cooker from heat and let the steam release naturally.]

Unlock the cooker. Separate out the boiled green gram from the water used for boiling.

Do not discard the flavorful moong water – collect it and use for making osaman.

2. Prepare the coconut spice base

Grind together fresh coconut, green chilies and ginger coarsely.

3. Cook it all together

Break the dry red chili into 5-6 pieces.

Heat ghee in a pan. When the ghee is hot, add asafoetida, dry red chilies and mustard seeds.

When the mustard seeds have popped, add boiled green gram.

Stir to coat the green gram with the spiced ghee.

After two minutes, add salt to taste, jaggery (if using) and the ground chili-ginger-coconut.

Turn off the heat and stir.

Green gram sundal is ready.

Sundal is versatile in its ways of serving. Tastes good warm as well as at room temperature. Works as a standalone snack as well as an accompaniment for a bigger meal. Exhibit below: green gram sundal with boiled millet, sun melon slices, plain dahi, cauliflower masala.