Green peas Sundal

If you've been to Tamil Nadu, probably Chennai and visited Marina Beach, you might come across vendors selling sundal. It's a handy form of chaat, comes in a paper cone, tangy, spicy and very tasty. Also, it could be the reason why you had to visit the toilet longer than necessary. Eeps. Ok, never mind that.

Sundal as a rule is made with peas, the white variety but my aunt who decided she'd do things her way went ahead and made it with the dried green peas that you get in the market. She also made it a tad non vegetarian by chopping boiled eggs and topping the sundal with it.

I probably tasted it the first time at her house and was instantly in love. This was better than the roadside chaat anyday. My mom also started making it during Ramzan especially and I had this recipe written down when I got married so I could make it at my in-laws as well.

Mom's made sundal today so I can't wait to open my fast and get to it! ( I started writing this in the evening but a hurricane called Azhaan happened so I had to wait till now to finish it)

Here's how you make it. Somehow, it's not the kind of dish that you make with exact measurements, you know what I mean? Or it could be that I'm being plain lazy here. :D

Ingredients

Green peas, soaked

Tomato chopped

Boiled potato

Boiled egg

Raw mango bits

Tamarind pulp

Salt, chilli powder

Chaat powder

Coriander leaves

Maida papads (maida kneaded, rolled out into very thin chapathis, cut into quarters and fried crisp)

Boil the peas until mushy-soft. Cook further with tamarind pulp, chilli powder and salt. Spread in a wide mouthed basin or bowl. Layer with chopped tomatoes, onions  and raw mango bits and dot with mashed potato. Sprinkle a little salt over the potato and finally top with crushed papads. Sprinkle chaat masala and garnish with coriander leaves.