It is Navarathri time!

Navarathri, also celebrated as Dusshera, is a festival celebrated in India to honor the Indian Goddess of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. The festival lasts for ten days and is celebrated with worship and dance. The Dandiya Raas dance and the Navarathri Golu are hallmarks of this festival. The Golu is a display of colorful Indian dolls, stacked neatly on wooden ladder steps.

People visit their friends and relatives' house to view the Golu and they take home neatly wrapped paper packets of 'Sundal'.

Sundal is a mix of steamed/cooked lentils or peanuts seasoned with salt and indian spices. A different variety of sundal is prepared everyday as an offering to God and distributed to friends and family.


Sundal recipe

Ingredients

Soak overnight any of the following lentils:

Chana dal or dry peas or peanuts or dry garbanzo beans or black eyed peas

Mustard seeds, dessicated coconut, curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste

Method

1. Cook any of the soaked ingredients. The lentils should not be overcooked and must retain original shape.
2. Heat pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves.
3. Add the cooked lentils, turmeric and salt.
4. Cook for 5 minutes. Add dessicated coconut and mix well.

Your golu sundal is ready. This is a healthy protein rich snack too. Enjoy and let the festivities begin.