Navarthri festial is around the corner and this is the time when there is no shortage of protein in any kitchen. I love Navaratri and having people over for golu. It is that time of the year when we get to visit all our friends and families and enjoying their delicious food and beautiful decorations. Payatham Paruppu Sundal is one of the first sundal I make for Navaratri. Other than this sundal, I make Payatham Paruppu Payasam with Moong dal. Also Moong dal is an essential ingredient when making Beans curry.
Why make this recipe?
This Payatham Paruppu Sundal is the easiest of any sundal recipe. The moong dal needs no soaking time and this is a lot of time saver.Moong dal or pasi paruppu literally cooks in about 10 minutes. The seasonings are very simple and basic. This Pasi paruppu sundal can be served as a snack, Navaratri neivedhiyam or as a side to a meal. Moong dal is a good source of protein. Moong dal is easy on our tummy and for digestion.
Ingredients needed
Lentil - We are making this sundal / salad with yellow Moong Dal. This is also known as Payatham paruppu or Paasi Paruppu in Tamil. It is the split yellow moong dal. Fresh produce - We will be using grated coconut, green chilies, curry leaves and lemon juice. I use frozen grated coconut that is thawed at room temperature. We can also use freshly grated coconut. If fresh coconut is not available we can substitute with desiccated coconut as the last resort. Spices - We need mustard seeds, red chilies and asafetida for seasoning. Apart from this, we need a little oil and salt.
Step by Step Process
Cooking the lentil
Wash the dal and add it to boiling water (1). Add salt to the lentil (2) and let it cook until it is just tender to crush between fingers (3). Drain the cooked dal in a colander and keep aside (4).
Making the Sundal
In a kadai, heat some oil. Once it heats up, add the mustard seeds and let it crackle (1) Now add the red chilies, green chilies and curry leaves (2). Add asafetida (3). Now add the cooked dal and mix it well (4). Add the grated coconut and mix well (5). Add the lemon juice and cook for 2 more minutes and then take the Payatham Paruppu Sundal off the flame (6).
Expert tips
Add salt when cooking the lentil / payatham paruppu. That helps in not making the lentil mushy. Lemon juice is optional and can be skipped, but I would highly suggest using it as it adds a beautiful tangy flavor to the sundal.Sundal can be served as a snack or as a side with rice. If not making for festival, we can saute some onions along with the seasoning to make the sundal.
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