Lima bean sundal

I have first tasted this yummy lima bean sundal as a prayer offering in a Temple in my college days. It is typically made in India's southern part, especially at festivals, in large quantities. I always wonder how they manage to make food so delicious in such a large amount? It's not just an ingredient and recipe, and it's pure love and devotion that never fails to impress. At festivals, usually, onions are not added to the sundal; I have changed my recipe and added onions. Onions enhance the taste significantly when you are trying to make less oil version. You can use any bean of your choice to make this, like cannellini beans, black chickpea, garbanzo beans, black-eyed pea, green peas, to make this delicious snack. You can add some greens to enjoy in salads or use it as a side dish. I do eat it as filling in my veggie wraps with my favorite veggies. In the traditional recipe, black pepper is not used often; I try to add little black pepper in everything where turmeric is used, as piperine present in pepper helps better absorption of curcumin present in turmeric.

Preparation time: 20 mins

cook time: 15 mins

Total time : 35 mins

Serves : (4-5)

Ingredients:

Dry lima bean – 1 cup ( soaked for 8 hours )

Mustard seeds- ½ tsp

Split black gram- ½ tsp

Onion – 1 medium (finely chopped)

Asafetida- ¼ Tsp

Ginger- 1 tsp (finely grated)

Black pepper – 2 (freshly cracked)

Curry leaves- 1 sprig

Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp

Lemon juice- 1 Tbsp.

Salt – as per taste

Oil - 1 tbsp. ( any cold pressed)

Directions:

1. Cook beans in water and salt till it gets soft.

2. Heat the oil in a pan.

3. Add mustard seeds and gram.

4. Fry until they crackle and gram colors a little.

5. Add curry leaves and asafetida.

6. Add the onions and cook until it turns translucent.

7. Add ginger salt, turmeric, pepper. Stir it frequently for 2-3 minutes.

8. Add cooked lima beans. Lemon juice, desiccated coconut. Stir it nicely and serve.