The concept of making Sundal as Prasadam during Navratri feels very clever to me. It is a brilliant method to get people to eat beans 🙂
However, in today’s busy world, there are days when we will forget to hydrate our dried beans. That’s when the hero- canned beans Sundal makes an appearance.
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Turkish Fasulye & Sundal
are not similar in any way but for their convenience. Ever since I moved to Germany, I feel like a kid in a candy store when I visit any Turkish grocery store. These are in plenty in Cologne.
Canned white beans is something that I buy in bulk whenever I visit one of these shops. Over here, not only are they cheaper but also taste softer and creamier.
Today’s recipe uses Turkish canned white beans. Among the Turkish communities, they are referred to as Fasulye and are added to stews, dips and salads.
Quick ways to make Sundal
- During Navratri, the main Neivedyam is Sundal. Sometimes, we may forget to soak the beans prior. Don’t worry if this is the case.
- Some beans can be flash soaked in boiling hot water for 1 to 2 hours and pressure cooked for a longer time. White chickpeas work very well in this case. The next best option is white peas or green peas.
- Certain bean varieties do not need any prior soaking at all. These include green mung beans, black eyed peas, red cowpeas and moth beans along with peanuts and butter beans.
- If you do not have any of these options, then you can pressure cook chana dal and make Kadalai Paruppu Sundal. Moong Dal is another lentil that you can cook into a Sundal. All you need to do is cook Moong Dal in an open until soft and proceed.
Sundal Variations
The classic Sundal calls for hydrating any variety of dried beans, cooking the beans till soft, tempering it in oil with mustard, chilis and ginger and finishing it with coconut.
As much as I love this combination, I also love trying different ways to jazz this yearly special which also happens to a regular in my meal plans because of the nutritional value.
Here are some of my variations-
- Idli Podi+ fresh coconut – like I made this recipe right here.
- Adding a coarsely ground paste of fresh coconut, green chili, cumin and ginger
- Using a combination of coconut, mint, cilantro, chilis and ginger along with lemon juice
- Going the Kosambari route with just sprouted beans, lots of shredded carrots, coconut and lemon juice.
- Making a sweet version of Sundal with jaggery, coconut, a dash of nutmeg and cardamom.
Step by Step video can be found by clicking the JUMP TO VIDEO button at the very top in case you are interested.
This is a pretty straightforward recipe and quite beginner friendly.
More Easy Navratri Recipes
Recipe Notes
- When using any canned beans, I recommend draining them in a strainer and rinsing them thoroughly. After rinsing, allow them to sit until all the water drains away fully.
- In this recipe, I have used homemade Idli Podi along with fresh coconut. You can also use store bought Idli Podi, Paruppu Podi (the ones without garlic, of course) or Thenga Podi here. If you do not have any of these, simply use sambar powder.
- Frozen fresh coconut that comes in cubed forms are so ideal and convenient in recipes like this. I use one of these brands- either Euro Choice or Annam. I find both almost always in my Indian stores.
- If you are lucky and have access to freshly grated coconut, then nothing to beat that!
- Go easy on the salt in any recipe that uses beans. Beans in general tend to have some inherent salt and if you are adding any condiments like in this recipe, it is wiser to add little salt than more.
- Since I use frozen coconut, I tend to add it without thawing directly to the beans. The coconut breaks down in the residual heat in about 20 mins and then I mix everything well.
- If you are in a rush, I recommend thawing the coconut before hand.
Directions
- Open the can of beans, pour into a strainer, rinse thoroughly under running water and let it sit until water drains away.
- While this happens, prep and assemble the remaining ingredients.
- Heat a pan with coconut oil.
- Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add asafetida, reduce heat to medium and add the urad dal.
- Allow the urad dal to become golden in color.
- Turn the heat to the lowest, add turmeric powder and Idli podi. Sauté for 20 seconds.
- At this stage, add the prepped beans and mix to combine.
- To finish, add the grated fresh coconut, stir well to combine.
- Serve hot.
Sundal with canned white beans
Equipment
- 1 Frying Pan
- 1 set of utensils
Ingredients
- 1 can Turkish white beans I used a large 800 g can here
- 1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1.25 tsp white Urad dal
- 1/8 tsp asafetida
- 1 green chili finely chopped
- 1 tbsp Idli Molaga Podi or 1.25 tsp sambar powder
- 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
- 3/4 tsp salt because Molaga Podi also has salt
- 1/2 cup fresh coconut grated
Instructions
- Open the can of beans, pour into a strainer, rinse thoroughly under running water and let it sit until water drains away.
- While this happens, prep and assemble the remaining ingredients.
- Heat a pan with coconut oil.
- Add the mustard seeds and when they splutter add asafetida, reduce heat to medium and add the urad dal.
- Allow the urad dal to become golden in color.
- Turn the heat to the lowest, add turmeric powder and Idli podi. Sauté for 20 seconds.
- At this stage, add the prepped beans and mix to combine.
- To finish, add the grated fresh coconut, stir well to combine.
- Serve hot.
Video
Notes
- When using any canned beans, I recommend draining them in a strainer and rinsing them thoroughly. After rinsing, allow them to sit until all the water drains away fully.
- In this recipe, I have used homemade Idli Podi along with fresh coconut. You can also use store bought Idli Podi, Paruppu Podi (the ones without garlic, of course) or Thenga Podi here.
- If you do not have any of these, simply use sambar powder.
- Frozen fresh coconut that comes in cubed forms are so ideal and convenient in recipes like this. I use one of these brands- either Euro Choice or Annam. I find both almost always in my Indian stores.
- If you are lucky and have access to freshly grated coconut, then nothing to beat that!
- Go easy on the salt in any recipe that uses beans. Beans in general tend to have some inherent salt and if you are adding any condiments like in this recipe, it is wiser to add little salt than more.
- Since I use frozen coconut, I tend to add it without thawing directly to the beans. The coconut breaks down in the residual heat in about 20 mins and then I mix everything well.
- If you are in a rush, I recommend thawing the coconut before hand or in the microwave.
For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes
Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.
Disclaimer
Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.
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