Peanut Salad - Verkadalai Sundal

Peanuts is something I try to avoid.But its a favourite of my family. I always think of trying something with peanuts but by the time I find a recipe,they have reached the expiration.So this time I bought peanuts,the first recipe I tried was dear DK's Peanut Sundal. It was a hit and yeah I see it becoming a regular feature in my house.

Ingredients:
Peanuts: 1 cup
Turmeric Powder: a pinch

Seasoning:
Oil: 1-2 tsp
Mustard: 1 tsp
Urad Dal /Split Black Gram: 1 tsp
Dried Red Chillies: 1-2 broken into pieces
Hing /Asafoetida: a pinch
CurryLeaves: few fresh ones

Coconut: handful

Salt: to taste

Preparation:

Soak peanuts in water for 1 hour.This lets them cook faster.Add turmeric and salt and cook them in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistles or until soft.You can do it in stovetop also and it takes around 30 minutes.

Drain the peanuts and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add in mustard seeds.When it splutters,add in black gram,redchillies and hing.Make sure to add the hing last as we donot want it to burn which can put us off the dish.Let the black gram turn brown and then add hing.Immediately add in peanuts,coconut and curryleaves and stir gently until well combined for one or two minutes more.Adjust the salt and serve as a side salad or snack.

Sundals are usually made during Navratri and are a part of Tamil or South Indian Festive culture where Golu/Kolu dolls are displayed at home and lentils are prepared as Nivedhyam to Gods.These are made of dried lentils and rich in proeins and are filling and are perfect for the festival fasting that some people undergo during the navratri/dussera.

Well do check up DKs site for variety sundal recipes.Meanwhile my humble sundal goes to T&T:ChefInYou at Priya's an event by Lakshmi.