Nine days of fasting and feasting

It is difficult to arrive at a consensus about the reason or significance of offering sundal during Navarathri. According to one theory it’s purely for the nutritional value during the dull days of September-October when people get easily tired, especially if you are fasting. The wise saints therefore, prescribed that protein and vitamin-rich sun dals to be served during Navarathri to rejuvenate people in ancient times. Another theory states that nine different sundal varieties are offered to appease the nava-grahaas or nine planets. According to this theory, traditionally only the nava-dhaanyas or lentils like toor dal, moong (green gram) dal, chana dal, white field beans, horse gram, urad dal were offered to the nine planets.

Dry or wet groundnuts: one cup  

Gram flour: 3 tsp 

Rice flour: 1 tsp 

Jeera powder: ½ tsp 

Turmeric powder: ½ tsp 

Asafoetida: ¼ tsp 

Red chilli powder: 1 tsp 

Fennel powder: ¼ tsp 

Garam masala: ½ tsp (optional) 

Salt as per taste

Take the gram flour, rice flour, salt, jeera powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, asafoetida, fennel powder and garam masala and prepare a mixture. 

Put peanuts into the above mix and sprinkle with little water to coat the peanuts properly. Take a microwave dish and add a few drops of oil. 

Put the coated peanuts on the plate so as to form single layer. Do not place them on top of one another.

Microwave for three minutes at moderate to high temperature. After every minute, flip the groundnuts. Add a few curry leaves and again microwave for a minute or so. Remove, allow to cool for five mins. Crush the curry leaves and mix. Serve

Ingredients 

Boiled chana: 1 cup 

Coconut, grated: 3 tbsp 

Salt to taste 

Chana dal: 1 tbsp 

Moong dal: 1 tbsp 

Pepper corns: 1/4 tsp 

Red chilli: 2-3 

Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp 

Oil: 2.5 tbsp 

Mustard seeds: 3/4 tsp 

Curry leaves: a small sprig 

Asafoetida: a pinch

Boil the chana and keep aside. 

Roast the dry ingredients. Put them in a grinder to form a powder. 

Add boiled chana, coconut and powdered masala. Check and adjust salt at this stage. 

Mix well and cook for 3 mins in low flame until the masala blends well. Serve hot.

Ingredients 

Karamani/Perum Payiru: 1/2 cup 

Cardamom powder: a pinch 

Grated coconut: 2 tsp 

Grated jaggery: 1/4 cup 

Ghee: 2 tsp

Dry fry the karamani/perum payiru in a pan till its raw smell goes off and then cook it by adding water to the pan. 

If the cooked karamani/perum payiru has excess water, strain it and keep it aside.

Heat the pan, add grated jaggery and pour little water for the jaggery to dissolve.

When the jaggery dissolves, add the cooked karamani/perum payiru and mix it well till the mixture does not stick on to the pan.

Add ghee, cardamom powder and grated cocunut. Mix it well. 

The mouth-watering karamani/perum payiru sweet sundal is ready for neivedhyam and to be served.

Ingredients 

Payitham Paruppu (Moong dal): 1 cup 

Green chilli: 1 

Salt: to taste 

Grated cocunut: 1 tsp 

Oil: 1 tsp 

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp 

Curry leaves: few 

Asafoetida: a pinch

Take a pot or pan, add dal and water (enough to soak the dal ) and then add salt. Allow it to get cooked till the dal becomes soft but not sticky. 

Take the cooked dal and keep it aside. 

Now heat the oil in the pan, and add mustard seeds and when the mustard seeds begins to sputter, add curry leaves and a pinch of asafoetida. 

To this, add the cooked dal and mix it thoroughly. 

Add the grated coconut and then mix it well. Serve.