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 :).