Navaratri Sundal Recipes | Navratri Sundal Recipes | Navratri Sundal Varieties

Navaratri is a time of devotion, celebration, and of course, delicious prasadam offerings! One of the most loved traditions is preparing a variety of Sundal recipes each day as an offering to the Goddess. In this collection of Navaratri Sundal Recipes, you’ll find a delightful assortment of healthy, protein-rich, and flavor-packed sundals made with different legumes and lentils. Each recipe is simple to follow, nourishing, and perfect not just for festivals but also as wholesome snacks for any day. Keep reading—you’re about to discover sundal varieties that are fan-freaking-fantastic and guaranteed to make your Navaratri even more special!

Sundal & Navaratri

Navratri and Sundal are truly inseparable. The moment we think of Navratri, Sundal instantly comes to mind—and vice versa! Sundal, made with cooked pulses, is an essential prasadam during this festival and is offered on all the Golu days. Traditional sundal varieties include chickpeas, chana dal, peanuts, moong dal, green gram dal, karamani (cowpeas), mochai (field beans), dry green peas (pattani), sweet corn, and the colorful Navratna sundal. There are also delicious sweet versions made with cowpeas, moong dal, or a mix of dals.

Each day of Navratri, we prepare Sundal along with sweet puttu, rice varieties, or payasam as neivedhyam, which is then shared with our guests who visit our Golu and receive thamboolam. Offering neivedhyam first to the Goddess and then distributing it to family and friends not only fills our homes with joy but also brings the divine blessings of all three Goddesses, along with the goodwill of our elders.

Sundal Preparation

Making Sundal is simple and fuss-free. Legumes are usually soaked overnight, then cooked until soft yet not mushy, and finally tempered with mustard seeds, curry leaves, red or green chilies, and a touch of asafoetida. If red chilies are used for tempering, hing enhances the flavor beautifully, while with green chilies, ginger can be added instead for a fresh kick. A generous garnish of freshly grated coconut completes the dish.

Though Sundal is traditionally prepared as prasadam during festivals, it is not limited to those occasions. Sundal can be enjoyed any day as a wholesome salad, and you can even enrich it with fresh vegetables. For festivals, onions are usually avoided, but when preparing Sundal as a salad, chopped onions make a tasty addition too.

Sundal Powder

Many of us have the custom of preparing Sundal Powder (or Curry Powder) at home, especially during Navratri, so that a spoonful can be added to cooked lentils or beans to enhance their flavor. Typically, Sundal is tempered with red or green chilies, which gives a mild spiciness. However, for those who love bolder flavors and find plain Sundal a little bland, this special masala podi is the perfect way to add an extra punch of spice and aroma.

Sundal Varieties and Recipes