Instructions

soaking chana dal
Rinse 1 cup chana dal in water for a couple of times. Take the lentils in a bowl and add 1.5 cups hot boiling water. Cover and soak chana dal for an hour.
Later drain all the water.
cooking chana dal for sundal
Add the soaked chana dal in a pan and add 2.5 cups water.
Also add ½ teaspoon salt and stir.
Keep the pan on stove top.
Cover with lid and on a medium-low to medium flame begin to cook the chana dal. Alternatively, you can cook chana dal in pressure cooker for 1 whistle.
When the water starts frothing, remove the lid and cook chana dal without lid on medium flame.
Do check at intervals when the chana dal (kadalai paruppu) is cooking.
Cook the lentils till they are cooked perfectly and still retain their shape. Taste a few lentils to check if they have cooked well.
Then drain all the water and keep the cooked lentils aside.
making chana dal sundal
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in another pan or kadai. Keep flame to a low and add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon urad dal.
On a low flame stirring often fry both mustard seeds and urad dal.
Fry till the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turn golden.
Then add 10 to 12 curry leaves, 1 to 2 dry red chillies and 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing).
Mix and fry for a few seconds till the red chilies change color.
Now add the cooked chana dal or kadalai paruppu.
Add salt as per taste.
Mix very well and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame. If there is any moisture or liquid in the chana dal then cook till the moisture gets dried.
Lastly add ¼ cup fresh coconut.
Mix and switch off flame.
Serve chana dal sundal. You can garnish with some fresh coconut or a few coriander leaves if you want.