Ingredients
6 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon coconut oil
3/4 cup toor dal
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
6 dried red chillies
2 Byadagi / Kashmiri red chillies
2 sprigs curry leaves
1/2 cup fried gram (pottu kadalai)
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Slightly smash the garlic along with the skin. Add it to a hot skillet along with a little coconut oil. Roast for a minute. Set aside to cool. The skin adds a lot of aroma and flavour to the powder.
Add in the toor dal to the pan. Add in the cumin seeds and black pepper. Dry roast on a low flame. Low flame is key as you do not want to burn the lentils. Roasting on a low flame brings out a lot of flavour from the lentils. After a couple of minutes add in the red chillies and the curry leaves. If you want a bright yellow colour powder, omit the curry leaves. Dry roast all the ingredients on a low flame until the lentils are golden in colour. Add in the fried gram / pottu kadalai and dry roast for a few seconds.
Switch off the flame and add back the roasted garlic, asafoetida and salt. Mix well to combine. Immediately, transfer the roasted mixture to a plate / bowl. Let it cool completely. Do not leave the mixture in the pan as it will still continue to cook the lentils and the lentils may burn.
Grind the mixture to a fine powder. We like the podi ground fine at home. If you like a coarse texture, set aside a tablespoon of the lentil mixture before grinding. Grind the rest of the mixture to a fine powder and add back the lentil mixture and pulse a few times so the lentils added retain its coarse texture.
Store the podi in a airtight container and use it within a month. Serve the podi mixed with rice and hot ghee.
- Prep Time: 10m
- Cook Time: 10m
Keywords: paruppu podi