Vella Payaru Sundal/Black Eyed Peas/Lobia Sundal - Easy Navarathri Sundal Recipes

Navarthri is starting tomorrow. We usually keep a nice golu every year, but this year, with our move from Chennai to Pune, we had to leave behind most of our dolls in Chennai and hence we won’t be able to keep a grand golu. But I plan to keep at least a couple of dolls.

Navarathris are usually very busy. We never know when it started, and when the 10 days got over. Everyday an offering or neyvedhyam of Sundal or some payasam is prepared. Making sundal is very easy, except that you have to remember to soak the legumes the previous day night.

There are some legumes, that get cooked easily without much of prior soaking, like the Karamani, Pacha Payaru, Peanuts, Kadala Paruppu, Pasi Paruppu etc. This Lobia also does not require any soaking. But I like to soak it for just about 30 minutes. The lobia sundal is one of the very tasty ones and is loved by all in our house.

What you'll need

1. Vella Payaru/Black Eyed Peas/Lobia – ½ cup
2. Green Chillies – 2
3. Ginger – 1 inch piece
4. Fresh Scraped Coconut – ½ cup
5. Asafoetida – a generous pinch
6. Curry Leaves – few
7. Salt to taste

For Tempering

1. Coconut oil – 2 tsp
2. Mustard Seeds – ½ tsp
3. Urad Dal – ½ tsp

Method

1. Soak the Vella Payaru for ½ an hour.
2. Pressure cook the payaru with just in enough water for 3- 4 whistles.
3. Once the pressure is released, drain the water from the payaru. And set aside.
4. In the meanwhile, grind green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and half of the mentioned coconut. Just enough to crush everything, don’t add water.
5. Heat a Kadai with oil, add mustard seeds, once it splutters add urad dal and fry till it turns golden, now add the curry leaves and asafoetida.
6. Then add the cooked payaru, salt to taste and the ground chilly coconut mixture.
7. Mix well and fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
8. Next add the remaining scraped coconut and fry for another couple of minutes.
9. Sundal is ready.