Kondakadalai Sundal | Chana Sundal | Vinayaka Chaturthi Recipes

Chick pea (கொண்டக்கடலை) sundal is an easy to make snack and also an essential item for Ganesh Chaturthi.

Preparation Time: 2 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients

Chickpeas | White Channa – 1 cup
Salt -to taste

To temper

Oil – 2 teaspoons

Mustard seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Urad dal -1/2 teaspoon

Dry Red chilli , broken- 3

Coconut, grated – 2 tablespoons

Curry leaves – 2 strands

Preparation

• The chick peas (கொண்டக்கடலை ) are soaked in water overnight, at least a minimum of 6 hours.
• Pressure cook the chana with enough salt for about 3 whistles.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds, urad dhal and red chillies.
• Once the mustard seeds start to splutter and the colour of the urad dhal turns golden add the curry leaves.
• Once the curry leaves turn crisp, add coconut and the cooked drained chickpeas and salt if required and mix well.
• Once the whole mixture gets heated up turn off the heat and serve hot.

Modaks

Steamed Modak or modaks are sweet dumplings made from rice flour. The stuffing is made from grated coconut and jaggery.

Serves: 9-10

Ingredients (used american measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 ml)

For modak

• 1 cup rice flour
• 5 cup water
• few drops of oil
• 1 t/s salt

For Modak Stuffing

• 1 tbsp white sesame seed (safed til)
• 1 t/s poppy seed (khus khus)
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut (nariyal)
• ½ cup powdered Or grated jaggery (I used organic jaggery powder) (gur)
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 t/s cardamom powder
• 1 t/s nutmeg powder (optional)

How to make the modak

1. Take water in a vessel add few drops of oil and salt.
2. Boil until it starts bubbling.
3. Add water to the rice flour and stir.
4. Then switch off the gas and mix with a good thick spatula.
5. Now mix nicely. Cover with a lid for five mins.
6. Allow the dough to cool or you could knead the dough while it’s hot. Just knead the dough and bind together. Let the dough rest and come to room temperature. Just cover the dough with a damp cloth.
7. In the meanwhile let’s make our filling. Take a heavy bottomed pan add ghee to it.
8. Now add fresh grated coconut, jaggery powder. Keep stirring the mixture for 3-4 mins.
9. Jaggery would melt, the mixture would leave nice aroma. Ensure you don’t over-cook the mixture else the jaggery might harden or get stiff which is not good for your modak.
10. Lastly add cardamom and nutmeg powder. Mix nicely. Switch off the gas don’t overcook the mixture.
11. Place some cold water with icecubes. Apply water over your palm. Make small balls from the rice flour.
12. Flatten the balls with your palms gently giving round shape. Ensure that the discs are neither too thick nor too thin. Put little mixture of coconut-jaggery mixture over the center of round disc. Be careful, disc should not have cracks.
13. Now form pleats toward the edges or just get the edges together and close them towards the top. The modak should look like cone shape from top. Alternatively you could grease the modak mould and shape them in the mould for more convenience. Then give shape with your four fingers. Be careful while making modak as it might break. So be gentle and make them lovingly it will shape well then.
14. For the first timers just don’t bother about the shape so much. Now place the modaks on a steamer and steam for 7 to 8 mins. You will see that the texture has changed and it’s cooked. I don’t have a steamer so I filled one big vessel with water. Placed a slotted dish or vessel over the water. Then placed dish filled with modaks. Covered with a lid. Steamed for 7-8 mins on medium heat. Alternatively you could steam modaks in pressure cooker for 8-10 mins on low / medium heat without the whistle, vent and weight.

Notes

1. Ensure you don’t add too much water in the flour. In case you add extra water not to worry add more rice flour.
   2. While shaping modaks if you face problem apply water to your palm.
   3. Also don’t over fill the stuffing else it will ooze out from sides.
   4. While making stuffing ensure the jaggery doesn’t dry too much.
   5. If you are unable to bind the rice dough add few drops of oil but no too much.
   6. If any point of time the modak cracks don’t worry just patch with little dough.