Sundal Powder (Sundal Podi) Tamil style

Sundal powder is a dry-roasted spice blend used to season boiled legumes.it quietly brings everything together — a gentle warmth, a familiar aroma, and that “this tastes right” feeling. The sundal is always the main character. The powder just nudges it along, making chickpeas, green peas, or peanuts taste complete without feeling heavy.

Sundal was a snack before it was anything else in my life. When we came home tired from school, my mother would make sundal in rotation — kondakadalai one day, pattani another, sometimes peanuts. She always said it was the healthiest thing you could eat, and in her mind, that alone made it worth repeating.

My second memory of sundal is as prasadam — served in temples and prepared as neivedyam during Navaratri kolu. The same simple dish, made with quiet care and shared generously. Different setting, same comfort.

What stays with me is how sundal never felt boring, no matter how often we ate it. It was always something to look forward to — warm, lightly spiced, filling without being heavy. This sundal powder captures that familiar flavour, the one that turns plain boiled legumes into something satisfying, comforting, and unmistakably Chennai.

Why Make Homemade Sundal Powder?

Homemade sundal powder has this undeniable zing, flavour, and freshness. When you dry roast the spices slowly, one by one, on low heat, the aroma comes through much more than the heat. That said, my family does like it a little less on the spicier side, so I adjust the chillies to suit us.

I also have other homemade staples like idli podi, sambar powder and rasam powder also in my website if you are looking to make masala podis freshly at home.

How to make Sundal Masala?

Dry roast each ingredient separately on low heat, taking your time and letting the aroma come through. Once everything has cooled completely, grind it to a slightly coarse powder. Mix in the asafoetida at the end and store for whenever a sundal craving strikes.

Ingredients

• dried red chillies
  (adjust up or down — we like it a little less spicy at home)
• coriander seeds
• chana dal
• urad dal
• black pepper
• 1 generous pinch asafoetida (hing)
• Peanuts
• Dessicated coconuts or koppara

Sundal Powder | Sundal Podi | Sundal Masala

A simple Chennai-style sundal powder made by slowly dry roasting spices and grinding them into a fragrant blend that brings warmth and flavour to any legume sundal.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients Equipment Notes

Ingredients

  

• 4 Red chilli Adjust up or down. We like it less spicy at my home.
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
• 0.5 tbsp Urad Dal
• 0.5 teaspoon Black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon asafoetida or hing It can be powder or the solid form.
• 2 teaspoon Peanuts This is optional. But I like to add it for nutritional value and taste.
• 1 tablespoon Dried Coconut or koppara or dessicated coconut This is optional. But it gives an exceptional flavor.

Equipment

• Mixie

Notes

• Heat a heavy pan on low flame without adding oil.
• Dry roast the coriander seeds until fragrant; remove and set aside.
• In the same pan, roast the chana dal and urad dal until lightly golden; remove.
• Add the dried red chillies and roast gently, turning often, until crisp but not dark.
• Add the black pepper, toss briefly, and switch off the heat.
• Let all the roasted ingredients cool completely.
• Grind everything to a slightly coarse powder using pulse mode.
• Mix in the asafoetida and store in an airtight container.

Notes:

Dry roast each ingredient separately on low heat to avoid burning and to bring out the aroma.

Allow all the roasted spices to cool completely before grinding.

Grind in short pulses rather than continuously to keep the powder fragrant and prevent it from heating up.