A sundal recipe is one of the most apt dishes during Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festivals, though it can be made as a quick fix on regular days as well. These are basically a dry preparation of a variety of legumes, a special from South India. This is a Sweet Corn Sundal, wherein steamed sweet corn is tempered with a handful of spices and finished with a generous sprinkle of fresh coconut. Easy, gets cooked quickly, tasty and vegan as well.
About Sweet Corn Sundal
At home, a sundal is quite the favorite of us all. Personally, for me, it is also a great dish because it is really fuss-free, yet is brimming with flavors, textures and nutrition that comes with the pulses that are used to make it.
The spice list is also a basic South Indian, and you really don’t have to sit worrying how to source any of it, and from where. All of it is readily available across households and even in the market in India.
A sundal dish for me is quite varied at home. I mean, I don’t really stick to making this dish with just one kind of main ingredient.
It can range from the most popular legumes and lentils to even peas, peanuts and corn. In fact, this Sweet Corn Sundal is an absolute favorite one.
To prepare Sweet Corn Sundal, you will need steamed corn. And this is the only element which takes about 15 minutes.
Keep this in place and finish off with your dish in flat 5 minutes. When using corn, keep in mind that if you are preparing the sundal for deities, use fresh corn on the cob and steam it.
This is what I did in my Sweet Corn Sundal. I took fresh corn on cobs, steamed them and then sliced off the kernels.
However, if you are preparing it for your family, then you can use tinned corn. The dish is equally good with it. Just like all other sundals, this one made with corn is also a great mid-day snack or a side dish in your meals.
Variations
In case you are looking for more sundal variants, these are some that I have shared here:
- Channa Sundal made with white chickpeas
- Chana Dal Sundal prepared with husked and split Bengal gram
- Rajma Sundal that includes kidney beans
- Black Channa Sundal cooked with black chickpeas
How to make Sweet Corn Sundal
Boil Corn
1. Firstly, steam or boil 2 medium sized corn on cobs in a stovetop pressure cooker or pan or instant pot.
If using pressure cooker, add enough water covering the cobs. Pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Allow the pressure to drop naturally in the cooker before opening the lid.
Remove the cooked corn cobs using tongs and set them aside to cool in a plate. Once cooled, slice off the kernels from the cob carefully with a knife.
You will need 2 cups of corn kernels.
Make Sweet Corn Sundal
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. When the oil becomes medium-hot, lower the heat.
Then, add 1 teaspoon mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon split and husked black gram (urad dal).
3. Stir and mix well. Let the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turn golden. Take care so that the urad dal does not burn.
4. Next, add 1 chopped green chili, 1 to 2 dried red chilies (seeds removed), 7 to 8 curry leaves and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Mix very well.
5. Add the boiled corn kernels.
6. Season with salt as per taste. Mix again very well.
7. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes on low heat.
8. Turn off the heat and add 4 tablespoons of grated fresh coconut. Mix very well.
9. Serve Sweet Corn Sundal hot or warm. If you like, you can garnish with some coriander leaves while serving.
More On Sundal
Traditionally, a sundal is simply a South Indian style stir-fry which consists of lentils, legumes or grains. These are essentially tossed in a coconut oil tempering consisting of typical South Indian spices, dals and curry leaves.
At the end, it is garnished with a good quantity of freshly grated coconut which acts as a cohesive factor, bringing the flavors together and imparting an earthy feel to it.
A classic sundal is also made without onion and garlic, has satvik ingredients and can be cooked really quickly. Hence, it is a preferred choice of dish in the fasting or vrat season during religious festivals like Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi and more.
It is a popular side dish/snack in Tamil Nadu, where it also features as a ‘prasadam’ during the festival of Bommai Golu.
Just like this Sweet Corn Sundal, any sundal recipe has many varieties and can be made from white or black chickpeas, horse gram, kidney beans, black eyed beans, green gram, Bengal gram, green peas, peanuts and the likes.
A sundal recipe is also one of the simplest ways you can prepare an energy giving and wholesome dish within minutes. Because of the usual ingredients used in this particular dish, it has an impressive nutrition profile and is really beneficial for the health.
More Corn Recipes To Try!
Soup Recipes
Pakora Recipes
Snacks Recipes
Salad Recipes
Please be sure to rate the recipe in the recipe card or leave a comment below if you have made it. For more vegetarian inspirations, Sign Up for my emails or follow me on Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Pinterest or Twitter.
Sweet Corn Sundal
Ingredients
- 2 cups sweet corn kernels – steamed
- 1 tablespoon oil – sunflower oil or any neutral flavored oil
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon urad dal (split and husked black gram)
- 1 to 2 dry red chilies – seeds removed
- 1 green chili – chopped
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 7 to 8 curry leaves
- 4 tablespoons fresh coconut
- salt as required
Instructions
Boiling Corn
- Firstly steam or boil 2 medium sized corn cobs in a stovetop pressure cooker, instant pot or pan. If using stovetop pressure cooker, then add enough water covering the corn cobs. Pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles. Let the pressure drops naturally in the cooker. Then only open the lid. Remove the cooked corn cobs using tongs and place them on a plate to cool.
- Once cooled, slice of the corn kernels carefully from the corn cob. You will need 2 cups of corn kernels.
Making sweet corn sundal
- Heat a pan and add oil. When the oil becomes hot, lower the flame. Then add the mustard seeds and urad dal.
- Stir and mix well. Let the mustard seeds crackle and the urad dal turn golden. Ensure that the urad dal does not burn.
- Next add the green chilies, dry red chilies, curry leaves, asafoetida. Mix very well.
- Add the steamed corn kernels. Season with salt. Mix again very well.
- Saute for 2 to 3 minutes on a low heat. Turn off the heat and add grated fresh coconut. Mix very well.
- Serve Corn Sundal. If you prefer you can garnish with some coriander leaves.
Notes
- If making the corn sundal for deities, use fresh corn on the cobs and cook them.
- I have added both dry red chilli and green chilli in the recipe. But feel free to add only, either red chilli or green chilli. You can also skip the chillies and add about ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper instead.
- The recipe can be scaled accordingly.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Sweet Corn Sundal Recipe from the archives was first published on April 2017. It has been updated and republished on March 2024.
Good recipe.
Your recipe was very tasty.
Thanks S.Ghosh