Sundal Kulambhu / Chickpeas Curry

         Chickpeas Curry or Sundal Kulambhu is a traditional dish in South India which is healthy, tasty, tangy and flavorful. When combined with plain hot boiled rice mixed with little sesame oil or ghee , this makes a wonderful lunch . This can be made with drumsticks or baby eggplant. This dish and rice goes well with keerai masiyal or mashed spinach.

Ingredients

      1/2 Cup of Boiled Chickpeas
      1 Chopped Onion(Big)
      5 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp of Tomato Puree
Lemon Size Tamarind
    1/2 Tsp of Turmeric
      1 Tbsp of Kulambu Masala Powder
1/2 Tsp of Sugar or Jaggery
      Salt and water as needed

To Temper

2-3 Tbsp of Gingelly(Sesame Oil)
      3 Red Chillies
      1 Tsp of Mustard
      1 Tsp of Urad Dal
      1/2 Tsp of Fenugreek
      Few Curry Leaves
      Pinch of Hing(Asafoetida)

Method

Ingredients

Soak chickpeas in salt water for overnight (8 hrs)and cook in a pressure cooker with salt and water just enough to immerse chickpeas for 3 whistles then turn to low heat and keep it for 10 mins and then turn off.
Heat oil in a pan and add red chillies, wait until it turns to dark brown color.
Add mustard, urad dal, fenugreek, curry leaves and hing (add one by one)
Add chopped onion and salt saute for few mins until it turns transparent.
Add garlic and fry for few mins.
Add tomato puree, turmeric, kulambu masala powder and drumsticks. Sprinkle some water and cover it with a lid and cook in a medium flame for 3-4 mins.
Now add cooked chickpeas and tamarind juice. Mix well and cook in medium flame for 7-10 mins.
When the kulambu gets thick enough, add sugar and turn off the stove.
Transfer to a serving bowl and enjoy with rice…

Tips

When you soak the chickpeas for overnight add some salt so that it soften the skin and also reduce the cooking time. Wash it 2-3 times before you pressure cook.
Use shallots instead of big onion.
You can use 2 tsp coriander powder and 1tsp of chilly powder instead of kulambhu masala powder.