Sundal is a South Indian dish where cooked legumes are flavored with a simple tempering and mixed with freshly grated coconut. Here is a version made using Rajma for you all. Check out the recipe.
Here are some more Rajma Recipes, to include in your everyday meals – Punjabi Rajma Masala, Kashmiri Rajma, and Old Fashioned Kidney Beans Salad.
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What is Sundal?
Sundal is basically a dry South Indian preparation which is mostly made of legumes and lentils.
In this dish, legumes or lentils are boiled and then cooked along with coconut, curry leaves, and other everyday spices.
It is an everyday dish that is prepared in almost all the South Indian households for their snack or is served as a side dish. They are also popularly served during the Navratri festival in Tamil households who keep the Golu and offer this as Neivedyam.
You can make many variations such as – Karamani Sundal, Channa Sundal, Masala Sundal, or Beach Sundal.
About This Recipe
Rajma Sundal is a simple 10 minutes dish, where Rajma or Kidney Beans is the star ingredient. Boiled Rajma is cooked with a tadka, which gives it a nice South Indian touch.
In the end, don’t forget to squeeze some lemon juice and sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves for added taste and freshness.
You can even add slit green chillies, if you like it to be spicy.
The only thing that takes time is cooking the Rajma. You can also boil the rajma beforehand and store it in the fridge if you are looking to make it for your everyday meals. It saves time and this dish gets hardly any time to get ready.
This Rajma Sundal is,
- High in Protein
- Filling
- Easy to make
- Yummy
- Ready in minutes
- Great side dish for South Indian meals
- Apt for healthy snacking
- Perfect to pack in your snack box
Ingredients
Rajma – High in Protein, Rajma, or Kidney Beans are soaked overnight and then boiled to use in this Rajma. You can use any variety of Rajma to make this Sundal.
Try and use the big size Rajma and not the smaller ones.
Coconut – This is the main ingredient in this Sundal, which gives it a nice coconutty flavor and a South Indian touch.
Other Ingredients – The other ingredients used for the Tadka are hing, mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chilies.
Lemon Juice and Coriander leaves – Don’t forget to add these two in the end, it adds to its taste. I just love the tanginess lemon juice adds to the Sundal.
Step By Step Recipe
Wash the rajma and soak in 4 cups of water for 5-6 hours.
Drain the water and wash the rajma again. Add it in a pressure cooker along with salt and 4 cups of water. Pressure cook until done. Do not overcook otherwise rajma will become mushy. Drain the rajma and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan.
Once the oil is hot, add hing, mustard seeds, and urad dal and cook until dal turns golden brown.
Add curry leaves, dry red chillies and fry them for a few seconds.
Add cooked rajma and mix well.
Remove the pan from heat.
Add coconut, lemon juice and fresh coriander and mix well.
Serve Rajma Sundal hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can follow the same recipe and use Chickpeas (Chola), White Peas (Safed Matar), Peanuts, Black Chickpeas (Kala Chana), Green Gram, Lobia, or Corn to make this dish.
You can just skip adding the coconut and follow the same process to make it without coconut.
Yes, this is a great dish to include in your meals if you are following a Vegan diet.
To cook the Rajma perfectly, soak it overnight or for about 6 to 8 hours. Next, add the Rajma in a pressure cooker along with the required water and salt.
Close the lid and pressure cook it for about 2-3 whistles and then cook on low heat for about 10 to 15 minutes. Switch off the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid, discard the water if any, and your Rajma is ready.
You can similarly cook the other beans as well.
Serving Suggestions
I like to enjoy Rajma Sundal on its own as a healthy snack.
Sundal can be served with Indian Breads such as Puri or Tawa Paratha.
You can even serve it along with your South Indian meals or with a simple combination of Sambar and Rice with a dollop of ghee.
Recipe Card
Sundal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup Kidney Beans/Rajma
- Salt (to taste)
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1/4 tsp Hing
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 2 tsp Urad Dal
- 2-3 Dry Red Chillies
- 10-12 Curry Leaves
- 1/4 cup Coconut (freshly grated)
- 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 2 tbsp Fresh Coriander (chopped)
Instructions
- Wash the rajma and soak in 4 cups of water for 5-6 hours.
- Drain the water and wash the rajma again.
- Add it in a pressure cooker along with salt and 4 cups of water.
- Pressure cook until done.
- Do not over cook otherwise rajma will become mushy.
- Drain the rajma and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan.
- Once the oil is hot, add hing, mustard seeds and urad dal and cook until dal turns golden brown.
- Add curry leaves, dry red chillies and fry them for a few seconds.
- Add cooked rajma and mix well.
- Remove the pan from heat.
- Add coconut, lemon juice and fresh coriander and mix well.
- Serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!