Sundals are nutritive and have high protein and fibre content. Since very little oil is used it is not fatty. Usually whole beans like white pattani, karamani, green payaru, blackgram are used. These have to be soaked overnight or for 12 hours before cooking. It can be pressure cooked for 3-4 whistles and then drained of water before seasoning. Green payaru, kadalai paruppu and payathum paruppu need only an hour’s pre-soaking. Payathum paruppu and kadalai paruppu should not be pressure cooked. They should cook in plenty of water and tested periodically to check if they are cooked. Drain the water and season.The following is the recipe for blackgram sundal. The seasoning remains the same for all sundals. Lemon juice can be used instead of raw mango for payathum paruppu sundal.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 kg whole blackgram (kondai kadalai)
- salt-2 tsps
- oil or ghee-2 tsps
- mustard seeds-2 tsps
- urad dal (uluthum paruppu)-2 tsps
- red chillies-3-4
- ginger grated-3 tsps
- grated coconut-1/2 cup
- Asafoetida (perungayam)-2 tsps
- cut raw mangoes-optional -3 tsps
- curry leaves (karuveppilai)-2 sprigs
- corriander leaves-a small bunch
Method:
- Wash the blackgram two or three times. Soak the whole blackgram for 12 hours.
- Using the water in which the blakgram has been soaked, pressure cook for 3-4 whistles.
- When pressure is released check if cooked and then drain excess water in a colander.
- Take the oil or ghee and put in the mustard, urad dal, perungayam, red chillies, curry leaves.
- After the mustard splatters add ginger cut mangoes and grated coconut and finely cut corriander leaves.
- Stir in the cooked gram, add salt and mix thoroughly. Offer it to Perumal.
 
Recipe by Smt Vyjayanthi Rajan
General guidelines for healthier food – Both body and mind:
- One should be thinking about Perumal (Nama Smaranam) while cooking, and the purpose should be to offer the preparation to Him.
- Once the food is prepared, it should be offered to Perumal first. While offering, one should make sure that the food is neither too hot nor cold. It should be offered with love and affection.
- Please do not offer either pre-cooked food bought from outside or any pre-consumed food.
- Please follow thiruvaradanam kramam as instructed by your respective acharya. (http://anudinam.org/2012/03/08/bhagavad-tiruvaradhanam/)
- Follow ahara niyamam as much as possible. Atleast make sure that onion and garlic are not used at all.(http://anudinam.org/2012/06/11/srivaishnava-ahara-niyamam/)
- Please ensure that food which are not prasadams are not consumed.
