Healthful Sundal recipe using sweet corn

Traditionally Sundal is made as prasad [devotional offering] during a religious festival or ritual, but it is often had as a healthful accompaniment to meals or just as an evening snack. This recipe uses sweet corn instead of the popular chickpeas

Sweet corn sundal

Sundal is a popular south-Indian snack made with lentils or veggies. It’s a simple side dish that is tempered with chillies, mustard, curry leaves and grated coconut. Sundal is both delicious and nutritious.

Traditionally Sundal is made as prasad [devotional offering] during a religious festival or ritual, but it is often had as a healthful accompaniment to meals or just as a nutritious evening snack. When made for prasad, onions are not used.

Widely sold on the streets of Tamil Nadu and served in almost all Tamil homes, especially during the festive season, Sundal is a quintessential Tamil salad. You will often find Sundal being offered in temples of Tamil Nadu—served in bowls made of dried beetel leaves or banana/palm leaves.

This vegan Sundal recipe uses sweet corn instead of the more popular chickpeas.

Sweet corn Sundal [stir-fry] recipe

Serves 2 – 3

Ingredients

  • 200g sweet corn kernels
  • 3 chopped green chillies
  • 1 tbsp chopped ginger
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh coconut or desiccated coconut
  • 1 tsp split black gram [urad dal]
  • A pinch of asafoetida [hing]
  • ¼ tsp turmeric powder
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp gingelly [sesame] oil
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped mint leaves
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves
  • 1 twig of curry leaves
  • Salt to taste

Preparation method

  1. Boil 3 – 4 cups of water in a pan and then add sweet corn pellets and turmeric powder. Cook on low-medium flame till the sweet corn turns soft. Remove from the heat, drain the water completely and keep aside for 10 minutes.
  2. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and temper the mustard seeds, black gram and curry leaves. Add chopped green chillies, ginger, mint leaves and coriander leaves. Stir well for a few seconds.
  3. Add cooked sweet corn, asafoetida and salt to taste. Cook for 2 – 5 minutes. Add grated coconut and stir well. You can also add grated raw mango, finely chopped onion and grated carrot to enhance the flavour of this dish.

This recipe was first published in the September 2015 issue of Complete Wellbeing.

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