Recipe Cooked, Photographed and Written by Praveena
PrepTime:10 mins CookTime:5 mins Cuisine:Indian
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Black-eyed Beans / Alasanda Salad,is a recipe that is Low in Cals, Protein rich, High Fiber, Vegan, Glutenfree, Nutfree, SoyFree, can be made oil-free too (check Tips section).
This is what I made today for MAHA SHIVARATRI, the Indian festival related to the Supreme GOD ‘Lord Shiva’. 🙏🌺
MAHA SHIVA RATRI wishes to all those celebrating!! 🙏🌺🌻 Happy to share this DIVINE DRAWING by my 3 kids!! 🌺🌻
This, Black-eyed beans / Alasanda salad a perfect recipe for festival nayivedyam (offering to God), very very very (yes 3 very(s)) 🙂 ) commonly made in South Indian temples as an oferring to the temples deity. Mainly because of the SATVIK features in the beans and no masala / heavy flavoured spices not being used in here.
It is called as GUGGILLU in Telugu and as SUNDAL in Tamil. The nearest word that can be translated to English is ‘SALAD’. While there is no pouring salad dressing in such recipes, but there is Indian style tempering & seasoning.
In this recipe, the black-eyed beans can be replaced with chickpeas / senagalu too. I have already posted its recipe. Recipe Link>> Thalimpu Senagala / Chana Tadka / Seasoned Chickpeas
For my detailed recipe about how to soak, cook and sprout any type of beans go to this link⇒ How to cook and sprout beans
Before starting to cook, don’t forget to see the Tips mentioned at the end.
Other Salad recipes here⇒ Salads
Low Cals / Carbs recipes collection here⇒ Weight Loss Food / Low Carb Recipes
Related Posts⇒
- Traditional Indian Recipes for Festivals / Panduga Nayivedyalu
- Chickpea Sprouts & Mango Salad
- Black-eyed beans Nuggets / Alasanda Vada (Air-Fryer & Stove-top)
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Ingredients: (serves 2)
- Black-eyed peas / beans – 1½ cups (soaked / boiled)
- Carrots – 2 (medium size) (grated)
- Green Cucumber / Keera – palm length (chopped)
- Fresh Grated Coconut – ¼ cup
- Fresh Coriander Leaves – a handful (chopped)
- Lemon Juice – 1 tablespoon
- Green Chillies – 2 (chopped)
- Red Chilli Flakes – ¼ teaspoon
- Salt – as per taste
Ingredients for tempering:
- Cumin / Jeera – ¼ teaspoon
- Sesame Seeds / Nuvvulu – ¼ teaspoon
- Turmeric – a pinch
- Cooking Oil – 2 tablespoons
Special Ingredients:
- Cumin / Jeera
- Fresh Grated Coconut
Step wise pics Procedure for Black eyed beans Salad:
PREP WORK:
- To ‘SOAK’ the black eyed beans:
- Take 2 cups of beans into a wide vessel, wash them thoroughly. Add water, 4 times the quantity of beans.
- Leave the vessel on kitchen platform, let the beans soak for 8 hrs.
- Strain the soaked water before cooking.
- To ‘COOK’ the black-eyed beans:
- on STOVE TOP: Take the beans into a sauce pan, add double quantity of water. Close with lid. Let them cook on stove-top medium flame until they soften (might take 30 to 40 mins).
- on STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER:Take them into the cooker. Add 1½ cups of water.
- Close the lid, put the whistle ON, let it cook for 5 whistles. Open only when the pressure is released.
- in INSTANT POT / ELECTRIC PRESSURE COOKER:Take them into the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water.
- Close the lid, turn the valve to SEALING, and set the mode to BEAN / CHILI (or) to PRESSURE COOK for 3 mins. Release the pressure naturally (NPR) or quickly (QPR).
Soaked black-eyed beans taken into Instant Pot for cooking After cooking the beans in INSTANT POT
MAKING THE SALAD:
If you are using canned (or) already cooked black eyed beans, ignore all the above ‘PREP WORK’ steps, and proceed with the recipe from here.
- Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame.
- Add the ‘Ingredients for tempering’ to the pan. Saute for a min.
‘Ingredients for tempering’ added to the frying pan - Add the boiled black-eyed beans into the same pan.
- Give a stir, see that the tempering is well coated to the beans.
Boiled Black-eyed Beans added to the tempering in the pan - Add all of these>>> Salt, Chilli Flakes, Chopped Cucumber, Grated Carrot, Grated Coconut to the pan.
- Stir everything gently but thoroughly.
- Leave it on flame for 2-3 mins. Until the raw flavour of veggies is lessened.
Chilli Flakes, Chopped Cucumber, Grated Carrot, Grated Coconut added to the pan - Lastly, add the chopped coriander and toss the pan and switch the flame off.
Finely chopped coriander added to the pan - Take the salad into 2 serving bowls, garnish each with leftover grated carrot, grated coconut and chopped cucumber.
- Sprinkle some lemon juice on top. Done!!
The Black-eyed beans / Alasanda salad in serving bowls and garnished
Tips:
- Adjust the salt & spice as per your taste.
- To make the salad even more healthier WITHOUT OIL>> just add boiled black-eyed beans, raw veggies into a bowl, add the seasoning. Toss and serve. You can skip the ‘tempering’ section, skip the salt too.
- You can add the seasonings, and store it in fridge but top up the grated veggies just before serving.
Result:
- Black-eyed Beans Indian Salad / Alasanda Guggillu, which I thought to be very simple/plain to taste, turned out lipsmacking.
- We had a hearty, guilt-free feeling after all.
- And its very much suitable for upavasam / fasting day diet.
Ingredients, Accessories on ‘AMAZON’ to ‘SHOP’:
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Black-eyed beans Salad / Alasanda Guggillu
Equipment
- Frying pan (for stove-top method)
- Instant Pot or Electric Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1½ cups Boiled Black-eyed peas / beans (soaked or boiled)
- 2 count Carrots (medium size) (grated)
- 1 palm length Green Cucumber / Keera (chopped)
- ¼ cup Grated Coconut (fresh / desiccated)
- 1 handful Fresh Coriander Leaves (chopped)
- 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 2 count Green Chillies (chopped)
- ¼ teaspoon Red Chilli Flakes
- as per taste Salt
Ingredients for Tempering:
- ¼ teaspoon Cumin / Jeera
- ¼ teaspoon Sesame Seeds / Nuvvulu
- a pinch Turmeric Powder
- 2 tablespoons Cooking Oil
Instructions
PREP WORK:
- To ‘SOAK’ the black eyed beans:Take 2 cups of beans into a wide vessel, wash them thoroughly. Add water, 4 times the quantity of beans.Leave the vessel on kitchen platform, let the beans soak for 8 hrs.Strain the soaked water before cooking.
- To ‘COOK’ the black-eyed beans: on STOVE TOP: Take the beans into a sauce pan, add double quantity of water. Close with lid. Let them cook on stove-top medium flame until they soften (might take 30 to 40 mins).on STOVE TOP PRESSURE COOKER: Take them into the cooker. Add 1½ cups of water.Close the lid, put the whistle ON, let it cook for 5 whistles. Open only when the pressure is released.in INSTANT POT: Take them into the Instant Pot. Add 1 cup of water.Close the lid, turn the valve to SEALING, and set the mode to BEAN / CHILI (or) to PRESSURE COOK for 3 mins. Release the pressure naturally (NPR) or quickly (QPR).
If you are using canned (or) already cooked black eyed beans, ignore all the above 'PREP WORK' steps, and proceed with the recipe from here.
MAKING THE SALAD:
- Put a frying pan on stove top under medium flame.Add the 'Ingredients for tempering' to the pan. Saute for a min.
- Add the boiled black-eyed beans into the same pan.Give a stir, see that the tempering is well coated to the beans.
- Add all of these>>> Salt, Chilli Flakes, Chopped Cucumber, Grated Carrot, Grated Coconut to the pan.Stir everything gently but thoroughly.Leave it on flame for 2-3 mins. Until the raw flavour of veggies is lessened.
- Lastly, add the chopped coriander and toss the pan and switch the flame off.Take the salad into 2 serving bowls, garnish each with leftover grated carrot, grated coconut and chopped cucumber.Sprinkle some lemon juice on top. Done!!
Notes
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Looks wonderful! Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! 🙂 Do let me know ur feedback once tried too!