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Ruchik Randhap

Food & Memories of Mangalore

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Sonay Sukhe (Black Chana Fugad/Sukka) + Video!

Here’s a quintessential Mangalorean recipe that I have somehow missed to post on my very Mangalorean blog. How could I have missed to post this earlier, I wonder. Anyway, better late than never. Actually, I intended to do a post on the Black Chana/Garbanzo beans that we in Mangalore seem to make almost every 2-3 weeks, when I first got my new camera – which was last year. The Chana dish that I had prepared for lunch one day was the first shot in my camera, which I haven’t deleted till date as it brings back the fond memories of such excitement I had that day that I randomly clicked pictures of almost everything in my house. However, since I had not planned a photo shoot that day the dish never made it to the blog.
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Despite the fact that hubbykins and I are poles apart when it comes to choosing our favourite food (we are never on the same page), I’d have to say that the Black Chana sukka is our favourite. I usually make it at least twice a month and it tastes wonderful with simple boiled rice and a tomato saar (watery soup). My mum used to make it especially on Good Friday and we used to eat it along with Nivole (Spicy curry made of carom seeds (ajwain), roasted coconut & spices) and typical Mangalorean red rice. Yum! was not the word! It is such a beautiful combination that we never missed a non vegetarian side dish to complete the meal.

 

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Sonay Sukhe as we call it in Konkani is also part of the festive vegetarian meal (Novein Jowaan) that we have on September 8th – the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. So this will go into that collection in my recipe index! During that feast, my mum used to add a wee bit of jaggery to the dish to give it a bit of a sweet edge to a moderately spicy dish. However, since the man does not like any sweetness in his savoury dishes, I refrain myself from using any jaggery while preparing it. You can add about 1/2-1 tsp grated jaggery just before you add the pre boiled Chana so it blends well with the masala. Also, since the Novein Jowaan happens during a season of abundance – which is right after the first few showers of the monsoons, we use Hog Plums (Ambado) as the souring agent instead of tamarind or tomato. If its available in the markets when you are ready to make this dish, go right ahead and add a couple of them for the given quantity. The dish tastes awesome!
Fugad is just another name for a preparation that involves tempering of ingredients such as mustard, curry leaves, onions & garlic before adding the main ingredient (usually a vegetable) and often includes the addition of grated coconut. This preparation is simply called as ‘Sukka‘ in Mangalore in the local languages, be it Konkani, Kannada, Tulu or Beary Bhashe. You can try out the same method with many other legumes such as Black Eyed Peas (Chawli) or Chickpeas (Kabuli Chana) or Mung Bean Sprouts (or any other sprouts), String/Runner Beans (Sango in Konkani, Alsande in  Kannada), French Beans, Yam (Sooran). The Fugad or Sukka is a cousin of the Keralan vegetarian Thoran. 
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Do check out the video of how to make this dish! I hope you enjoy it!

If you liked this video please do subscribe to my channel! Also, like, share & comment on it! It will really really motivate me to shoot more videos!

Sonay Sukhe
Preparation time: 5-10mins| Cooking time: 20-25min | Serves 2-3


You Need:

  • 1/2 cup kala chana / black chickpeas / garbanzo beans soaked for 10-12hours or overnight
  • 1/2 tsp mustard
  • 1 sprig curry leaves
  • 3-4 cloves garlic (with skin) crushed
  • 1 medium onion sliced
  • handful (about 3/4th cup) grated coconut
  • 1 tsp bafat powder
  • 3/4 th tsp tamarind paste or 1 small ball of tamarind (juice extracted)
  • oil
  • salt to taste

Method:
1. Place the soaked chana in a pressure cooker, add enough water to bring the level upto 1 inch above them. Add salt to taste and cover, place the weight & pressure cook the chana for about 4-5 whistles (or till tender but not mushy). Turn off the flame and allow the cooker to cool. Open, stir and keep aside.
2. In a heavy based kadhai/wok heat some oil and toss in the mustard. When it pops, toss in the curry leaves, garlic and fry for a couple of seconds.
3. Add the sliced onions and fry till golden. Toss in the grated coconut and fry for a minute or two. Add the bafat power and continue to fry on a slow flame to avoid burning of the powder. You may add a bit of the stock from the cooked chana if you think the mixture will burn.
4. Add the tamarind juice, mix well and lastly add the cooked chana and a little of its stock. Cover and cook on a slow flame till the water has been absorbed and the chana is tender.

Notes:
You may add jaggery to taste (about a teaspoon or two)
Instead of tamarind paste you can use 1 medium sized tomato or hog plums. Introduce this right after frying the onions and before adding the grated coconut

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Comments

  7. Sumi says

    Looks more like sundal, but the recipe is different. Will definetely try this one, will make a great side dish to any mixed rice.

    Reply

  15. Arch says

    Beautiful pics ! I came across your blog, when I was bloghopping around…Your blog has a lovely name, am Mangalorean Konkani, so this name really sounds perfect !! Will be here more often…

    Reply

  16. marz says

    I know the pain of extracting proper authentic recipes…So once again I need to really really thank you for all these beautiful recipes….

    Reply

  18. Shireen Sequeira says

    @ Anonymous: Bafat powder is a blend of spices famous in Mangalorean cuisine. Since it is made in bulk to last the whole year round the quantities are a lot (of each spice). If you do not have bafat powder you can use a blend of red chilli powder (abt 1 tsp)+ coriander powder (3/4th tsp) + 2 pinches each of cumin powder, pepper powder & turmeric powder. Alternatively you can use any blend of spices used to prepare vegetarian dishes

    Reply

  20. Juliet says

    Today Mother Mary is coming to my house.. and I am putting together a manglorean menu for my friends .. and without this dish the menu is so very incomplete .. will make this today….thx

    Reply

  23. Unknown says

    I cooked this along with other meat recipes for a party, everyone praised me for this recipie, and were helping themselves with 2 or 3 times . Thank you so much shireen.

    Reply

  24. Betsy says

    Hi Shireen,

    I have never understood this concept of whistles for calculation of time during pressure cooking. Really stumps me :). No offence meant, you are doing a terrific job. I live in Bangalore and use Prestige and Pigeon pressure cookers. Generally, when the cooker comes to full pressure and whistles for the first time I lower the gas and then time accordingly. So in my experience, these kala channas require at least 45 minutes in the pressure cooker after the first whistle. Otherwise, they are hard and inedible. Now if I don’t lower the gas and allow it to whistle, I would have counted 5 whistles in a matter of few minutes. But blog after blog, calculate the cooking time in terms of whistles. So I surfed the net for an answer and came across this link which was really enlightening! 🙂 https://www.crazyengineers.com/threads/how-to-calculate-time-for-food-in-the-pressure-cooker.71950/

    I am a Mangy too and have had delicious-tasting sonne sukem at village weddings. Sad to say I have never achieved the same result in my kitchen. I hope I will able to make the perfect sonne sukem with your recipe. Thank you! Sorry for the long mail.

    Best,
    Betsy

    Reply

    • Shireen Sequeira says

      Hi Betsy!

      Thank you so much for sharing that link! Gosh! I feel like I have been living under a rock all this while. Very informative article although I couldn’t understand much of the scientific-physics related stuff about the pressure etc. However, it is so true in my case as I don’t have a gas stove. I use an electric smooth top oven because of which the whole whistle game goes for a toss. Utensils are slow to heat and pressure cookers don’t release whistles as quickly as they do on a regular gas stove. Must do my research and try to see how best to cook in silence, economically 🙂

      Reply

    • Shireen Sequeira says

      That sounds great Maria! Glad to know that the red wine turned out well 🙂 I don’t yet have the recipe for the sonay sukhe with ground masala, will post as soon as I can

      Reply

  26. Joyce rego says

    Hi Shireen
    Your mangy recipes are really very authentic but as before you used to have alphabetic index of all your recipes. Please initiate the alphabetic index of you recipes which will be great.
    Thanks
    Joyce

    Reply

    • Shireen Sequeira says

      Hi Joyce,

      Thank you so much!! If you see right on top, the alphabetic index is still there. I never removed it. Hope you found it now 🙂

      Reply

  27. Cassandra Cutinho says

    Hi.. I made this Black Chana sukka for my hubby as he is Manglorean n loves it to the core.. It turned out super awesome.. Thnxx alot

    Reply