Idli/ Dosa Podi

Idli/dosa podi is a spiced powder which goes as a side dish for idli and dosa. There are so many variations of this podi and we make it according to our taste.

My podi is based on the recipe of my cooking guru - my mom :). She makes it regularly, so we always have fresh stock at home. Podi or ulli chammanthi (recipe coming soon) is our favourite side for idli, especially when bored with the usual chutney or sambar. Amma makes her podi a little coarse. I too like it that way, the light crunch goes really well with soft idlis. 

What you need:

• Urad dal/ uzhunnu parippu - 1 cup (I used 250 ml cup)
• White rice - 1/4 cup
• Dry Red chillies - 8 (if the chilly you have is spicy, use 5)
• Kashmiri chilly - 3
• Whole Black pepper - 5 (or 1/2 tsp of crushed black pepper)
• A strand of Curry leaves
• A pinch of Hing/ asafoetida/ kaayam 
• Salt to taste

How I made it:

• First you need to dry roast the ingredients separately and cool them.
• In a hot pan, dry roast the rice until golden brown and keep aside once done.
• Next roast the chillies, whole pepper and curry leaves and keep aside once done. Do not remove the stem of the chillies, we can do that before grinding. Else the seeds will fall into the pan and may get burnt. If using crushed pepper, add it in next step only.
• Then roast the urad dal until golden brown. Once done, turn off the stove and add hing (and crushed pepper if using). Stir well and keep aside.

• Once cooled completely, grind each of the above roasted ingredients separately, to a coarse powder. 

• Add all the ground mixture to the mixie bowl along with a little bit of salt and pulse couple of times to mix it all together. Check salt and add more if needed. You can do it in multiple batches if the mixie bowl is small.

That’s it. Your spicy idli/ dosa podi is ready. Store the podi in an air-tight jar for longer shelf life.

Notes:

• Make sure you have the stove on medium flame and are stirring constantly, when you roast the ingredients. Else it will get burnt.
• I used idli rice, but you can use any white rice that you usually use for cooking at home.
• Adjust the quantity of chillies based on your taste. I like my podi spicy.
• Feel free to add a tablespoon of Channa dal/ kadala parippu, if you like the flavour. If using, you can roast it along with the urad dal.
• You can grind the rice and dal to a fine powder too. As mentioned earlier, it’s based on your taste and how you like it.
• This podi can be added on top of your dosa to make spicy podi dosa. It can also be added on top of idli upma for that added kick of spice. 
• Podi tastes best when mixed with coconut oil or gingely oil. You can also mix it with ghee (clarified butter) if feeling a bit indulgent :).

Vazhakka Bajji (Plantain Fritters)

Vazhakka Bajji is one of the easiest and very popular South Indian snacks. Just five ingredients and easy to make, the chances of getting this wrong is minimal. Unless you burn it while frying :).

Vazhakka used for bajji is different from the raw banana/ kaya we use for making stir fries or curries. We need the raw version of the yellow banana (Plantain or Kerala banana as it is popularly called). Here’s a pic - the one on the left is for bajji and the one on the right is for stir fries.

So here's the recipe.

Serves: 2

What you need:

1. Vazhakka (Raw Banana)- 1 large
2. Besan / Kadala maavu - 1 cup (I used a 250ml cup)
3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Salt
5. Oil - I used vegetable oil. Feel free to use the oil of your choice.

How I made it:

• Mix besan, chilli powder and salt with enough water to make a batter. The batter should be thick enough to coat the vazhakka pieces but at the same time not too much.
• Wash and clean the vazhakka. Cut it into two or three portions and make thin slices out of each portion. I like smaller pieces, so I usually make it into 3 portions. you will easily get 10-12 pieces that way.
• Add the slices into the batter and make sure each piece is well coated.
• Heat oil in a frying pan.
• Once the oil is hot, gently add the vazhakka pieces and fry on each side till it is a medium brown. 
• Take out of the pan and dab with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Serve hot bajji with ketch-up or just as it is.

Tips:

1. Sometimes the bajji may not turn medium brown, which is how we usually identify that it is ready. In that case, once the sizzling sound reduces, you can take the bajji off the pan.
2. You can add 1/4 tsp of Kashmiri chilli powder for added color.