Sundal (Legume Salad or Stir-Fried Legumes)

Ingredients

• 1 cup White chickpeas / kala chana / cowpeas (or any Sundal legume), soaked overnight and boiled until soft
• ½ cup Bamboo shoots, thinly sliced; fresh blanched or lightly fermented
• ½ cup Dashi stock (kombu + katsuobushi, or vegetarian dashi with kombu + shiitake)
• 2 tbsp Fresh grated coconut
• 1 Green chilli, finely chopped
• ½ tsp Ginger, julienned
• 6–8 Curry leaves
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 Dry red chilli
• a pinch Asafoetida (hing)
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil (nallennai)
• ⅛ tsp MSG
• ½ tsp Lemon juice
• to taste Salt

Method of Preparation

Chef Ajay Chopra

1. Prepare the Legumes & Bamboo

   Cook the soaked legumes until soft but not mushy. If using fresh bamboo shoots, blanch for 3–4 minutes to remove bitterness. If using fermented bamboo, rinse lightly before slicing.

2. Infuse with Dashi

   Warm the dashi stock with a pinch of salt and MSG. Add the cooked legumes and bamboo shoots. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes to allow the flavours to penetrate. Drain the excess liquid and reserve the infused broth for use as a soup base.

3. Prepare the Tempering

   Heat sesame oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, dry red chilli, hing, curry leaves, ginger and green chilli. Allow the ingredients to temper and become aromatic.

4. Finish and Serve

   Add the legumes and bamboo shoots to the tempering and toss well. Mix in the grated coconut and finish with lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature.