Chutney podi with roasted chana dal and dry coconut

Chutney podis are super handy and versatile. Apart from being great podis, they make for lovely additions to a stuffed vegetable or curries and more. Here’s is a simple podi with roasted gram dal or chutney pappu and dry coconut.

Ingredients

1 cup roasted gram dal /roasted chana dal

1/2 cup grated dry coconut

5 dry red chillies, Byadige variety

5 dry red chillies, Guntur variety

8-10 curry leaves

1/4 tsp asafoetida

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. In a pan, roast the gram dal until an aroma is released and take off heat just as it starts changing colour. Cool, grind to a powder and set aside.

2. Heat oil in the same pan. Add asafoetida and the dry red chillies. Once the chillies start changing colour, take off heat. Cool, grind to a coarse powder and let it sit in the mixer jar.

3. In the same pan, roast the cumin and dry coconut. Remove, roast curry leaves until they turn slightly crisp and take off heat.

Cool. Add to the mixer jar and blend to a powder.

4. Add the gram dal powder and salt, blend again with one quick whip and transfer to a bowl.

5. Once cool (from the heat generated during the grinding process), store in an airtight jar. This will keep at room temperature for months. Always ensure a clean dry spoon is used as moisture can cause the podi to spoil.

Karivepaku podi|Spiced curry leaves powder

Two beautiful big curry leaf trees also mean a lot of smaller ones. Gets a bit overcrowded and easy ways to use these up is to share, add in daily food and then make a lovely karivepaku podi. Curry leaves are also great for the hair!

Curry leaves are loaded with nutritional benefits including iron, calcium, vitamins, antioxidants, and more! They can help improve metabolism, aid digestion, great for the eyes and can strengthen immunity.

The karivepaku podi can be eaten with rice and ghee. It can also be paired with breakfasts like idlis and dosas. Or simply use as a masala for a vegetable fry or to make a quick spicy bhel/mixture. It has several variations in recipe. Sharing one recipe here.

Ingredients

50g fresh curry leaves

30g coriander seeds

20g cumin seeds

30g dry red chillies (I mix up byadige & guntur varieties)

1 tsp chana dal

1 tsp urad dal

10g tamarind

Salt, to taste

2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions

1. Wash the curry leaves well, dry on a cotton/muslin cloth either for a few hours or overnight.

2. Dry roast the urad and chana dal until golden. Remove and set aside.

3. In the same pan, dry roast the coriander and cumin seeds until they are fragrant. Remove and set aside.

4. Fry the dry red chillies next in a tsp of oil. Once done, remove and set aside.

5. Add another tsp oil and fry the curry leaves until crisp. Ensure there is no trace of moisture in the curry leaves or they will go limp upon being fried. Moisture will also reduce shelf life of the podi.

6. Once the ingredients are cool, grind the dals coarsely. Then add the coriander, cumin and red chillies and grind until coarse. Then add the tamarind and grind again. Finally, add the curry leaves and salt and grind again.

7. Store in an airtight jar. Does not require refrigeration.

Note

I have also made a version where I shade dry the curry leaves and don’t roast them at all. This works well too. Just remember to weight the curry leaves when they are fresh so the proportions don’t go haywire.

Cashewnut chutney podi – inspired by my sister:)

I haven’t met someone who loves cashewnuts as much as a friend, Bhargav. I think he mentioned once that kaju finds its way into his cooking in some form or other, except for maybe 2-3 dishes. And this generous man (who is also doing stupendous Covid Relief support work) sent home a large pack of cashewnuts.

My sister had made a chutney podi including cashew; I replicated it with a few tweaks and the result is an absolute winner! Paired this with the mixed dal dosa for breakfast. There was also a little leftover coconut chutney, too little to be served up, so got used as a spread on each dosa.

Ingredients

3/4 cup cashewnuts

1/4 cup urad dal

1/4 cup chana dal

1 tbsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp oil

A pinch hing

6 dry red chillies

Salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a kadai; a small pan that can be used to dry roast the ingredients. Add hing and red chillies. Roast until the colour darkens and set aside.

2. Use the same pan and dry roast the other ingredients (except salt) individually.

3. Once the ingredients have cooled, add salt and grind to a powder.

Serve with idlis or dosas; typically eaten with a dab of sesame oil. You can also sprinkle it on the dosa while making it. You can also smear some ghee on an idli and sprinkle the podi on it before serving.

Nupindi |Sesame – dry red chilli masala powder

This is a simple masala that can be used in curries/vegetable fries and rice dishes like the pulihyara (recipe on the blog).

How to make nupindi | sesame-dry red chilli powder

Ingredients

2 tbsp sesame seeds

4 dry red chillies (Byadige variety)

1 dry red chilli (Guntur variety)

Instructions

1. Powder all ingredients together and store in an air tight container. Use as & when required. This can stay at room temperature without getting spoilt for a few months (in moderate climate). I do recommend making small batches from time to time so it stays fresh.

Note: Chillies are optional, but we add the byadige for the lovely colour it brings and Guntur for the spice element.