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5 from 5 votes

Chickpea Sundal Recipe

A Sundal, a south Indian chickpea stir-fry, is so easy to put together and so delicious. The chana or chickpeas are tossed with curry leaves, mustard seeds, chili peppers, fresh coconut and cilantro for amazing flavor!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Appetizer/side/snack
Cuisine: South Indian Tamil
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian
Servings: 8
Calories: 81kcal

Equipment

  • Wok or large skillet
  • Mortar and pestle

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1-2 jalapeno (chopped. Or use serrano peppers. Deseed and use just one if sensitive to heat.)
  • 1 teaspoon coconut oil
  • 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing)
  • 1 teaspoon urad dal
  • 2 sprigs curry leaves
  • 1 teaspoon ground coriander
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon paprika (optional, but nice for color. If you'd like even more heat in the sundal use cayenne)
  • 3 cups chickpeas (approx 2 15-oz cans or 1 cup dry, cooked. Drain all liquid from chickpeas before using)
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoon unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 2 tablespoon cilantro (chopped)

Instructions

  • Place the garlic, cumin seeds and green chile peppers in a mortar and pestle or food processor and crush into a coarse paste. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add mustard seeds and when they sputter, add asafetida and urad dal. Stir-fry for a few seconds until the urad dal begins to turn lightly golden. Then add the curry leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds.
  • Add the garlic-cumin-chili paste you just made to the skillet and stir-fry for a minute. Add the powdered spices to the skillet: the ground coriander, turmeric and paprika, if using. Mix.
  • Add the chickpeas to the skillet and mix well. Continue stir-frying for a couple more minutes. Add salt to taste.
  • Stir in the coconut and cilantro. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Notes

  • Chickpeas are great in this sundal. But if you'd like to change up the beans, use white beans or pinto beans. Make sure you use cooked or canned beans.
  • If you can't find curry leaves, add 2 tablespoon cilantro at the time you'd add the curry leaves. You can garnish with more cilantro at the end.
  • You can leave out the urad dal at a pinch. Or add a few broken pieces of raw cashews for a bit of crunch in the sundal.

Nutrition

Calories: 81kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 180IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 1mg