This year, on a whim, I have decided to make an offering or neividhyam to the Goddess on all days of the Navratri festival. One of the offerings I made was this peanut sundal. This is a very quick recipe and takes just a few minutes to temper and finish.

Peanut Sundal

Ingredients:

• 2 cups raw peanuts
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp broken urad dal
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida
• 3-4 curry leaves, torn
• 1-2 green chillies, chopped
• 2 tbsps grated coconut
• 1 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

Method:

• Soak the raw peanuts either overnight in normal water or for 2-3 hours in hot water. Drain and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles with some salt or until the peanuts are tender.
• Heat the oil in a pan and when the oil warms, add in the mustard seeds and let the seeds pop. Then add the urad dal and let it start to turn golden. Then add the asafoetida, curry leaves and green chillies and stir for a couple of seconds.
• Now add the cooked peanuts and stir well for a while. Season it with salt if not enough. When the peanuts have absorbed all the spices, sprinkle the grated coconut, stir well and switch off the flame.
• Serve hot. You can also sprinkle a few drops of lemon juice if you need it to be slightly tangy.

This is an alternative to a healthy protein-filled snack, especially when you have school children coming home hungry!