Sundal, Tempered Chickpeas
Sundal is what you eat on a Chennai beach or after temple, a paper cone of tempered legumes seasoned to order. The base is any bean you have cooked soft, and the tempering is where it comes alive: mustard seeds popped until they jump, curry leaves crackled, a broken dried chile for warmth. Coconut is the usual finish, left out here so the ginger and lime stand forward. It travels well and needs no salt to taste like a real snack.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Chickpeas, cooked and drained
- 1 tsp Brown mustard seed
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seed
- 1 Byadgi chile, broken in half
- 12 Curry leaves
- 1 Indian green chile, minced
- 1 tsp Ginger, grated
- 1/4 tsp Turmeric
- 1 pinch Asafoetida
- 1 1/2 tbsp Lime juice
- 2 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
Method
- Warm the drained chickpeas in a wide dry pan over medium heat so they are hot when the tempering hits them. A cold bean does not take on flavor the way a warm one does.
- Push the chickpeas to one side. In the clear space, toast the mustard seeds until they pop, then add the cumin seeds and the broken byadgi chile and toast 30 seconds more, until fragrant.
- Add the curry leaves, green chile, ginger, turmeric, and asafoetida with 2 tablespoons (30 ml) water. The water lets the aromatics bloom and stops the spices scorching in a dry pan.
- Toss everything together and cook for 2 minutes, until the water has cooked off and the chickpeas are coated and glossy.
- Off the heat, add the lime juice and cilantro and toss. Sundal is usually crowned with scraped coconut; the lime and curry leaf carry it just as well, and the sourness lands where you would otherwise reach for salt. Serve warm or at room temperature by the handful.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 170 calories, 9 g protein, 8 g fiber, 30 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
