Podi / Powder Recipes

Different powders / podi are extensively used in preparing various Indian recipes like sambar, rasam, curries, biryani etc and some powders are even used as a side dish along with idlies, dosas and plain rice.

1. Chai Masala

• Fennel seeds / Saunf
• Cardamom seeds / Elaichi
• Green Cardamom
• Cinnamon / Dalchini
• Dry Ginger
• Black Pepper
• Star Anise

Make a powder of the above ingredients and use it while preparing chai / tea and enjoy the hot masala chai.

2. Andhra type koora podi / curry powder

• 1 cup split black gram / urad dal
• Three fourth cup split Bengal gram / chana dal
• Half cup coriander seeds
• One fourth cup cumin seeds / jeera
• Few fenugreek seeds / methi
• Three fourth cup peanuts / groundnuts
• 10 -12 dry red chillies or as per taste
• Few sesame seeds / til

Roast the above ingredients in a half spoon of vegetable oil till done, on cooling add very little tamarind for a touch of sour taste and grind it to a powder. Store this in a dry container and use it mainly for making curry with eggplant, okra and bell pepper (capsicum).

3. Kootu powder

• 1 small cup urad dal / black gram
• Half cup rice grains
• Black pepper - one fourth cup
• Dry red chillies - 4 or 5 or as per your like
• Coriander seeds / Dhania
• Shredded / powdered coconut - half cup

Dry roast the ingredients over medium / low flame till it spreads the aroma. Grind it to powder on cooling and store the powder in a dry container.

4. Sambar powder

• Coriander seeds / dhania - 1 cup
• Chana daal / split Bengal gram - half cup
• Methi / fenugreek - one eighth cup
• Dry red chillies - 5 or 6 (as per taste)
• a pinch of hing (asafoetida)
• Little dry coconut powder (optional)

Dry roast all the above ingredients over low flame till done, then grind it to powder and store in a dry container. This can be used as and when required. For a tastier / spicy sambar, you can soak the ingredients for few minutes without dry frying and then make it into a paste. Add this paste while preparing sambar.

7. Rasam powder / charu podi

• Coriander seeds / dhania - 1 cup
• Toor dal (split pigeon peas) - three fourth cup
• Chana dal / Bengal gram - 1 cup
• Jeera / Cumin seeds - one fourth cup
• Black pepper - one fourth cup
• Dry red chillies - 5 or 6 (as per taste)
• Pinch of asafoetida

Dry roast the ingredients over low flame, grind to powder on cooling and store in a dry container.

8. Andhra famous Kandi Podi

Kandi podi or spicy pigeon peas powder is very special of Andhra Pradesh and is one of the most relished items by the Telugu people. The powder is made of a healthy combination of different pulses to which slightly few spices are added. The powder is served in almost all the hotels / restaurants across the state and in most of the social and religious feasts as well.

• Toor dal / split pigeon peas - 1 cup
• Chana dal / Bengal gram - three fourth cup
• Jeera / cumin seeds - little
• Dry red chillies - 10 to 12 or as per liking
• salt to taste
• pinch of hing / asafoetida

Dry roast the ingredients over medium / low flame till the aroma spreads. On cooling, grind it to a powder and store it in a dry container.

9. Karvepaku podi / spicy curry leaves powder

Karvepaku podi or spicy curry leaves powder is a very special item of Andhra Pradesh which is mainly made of fresh curry leaves. The podi is relished as a side item with idlies and dosas and even with plain rice.

• 1 small bunch of fresh curry leaves, washed thoroughly and dried in shade.
• Half a cup of Chana dal / Bengal gram
• One fourth cup of Urad dal / split black gram
• 1 tsp jeera / cumin seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds / dhani
• 8-10 dry red chillies or as per liking
• little seedless tamarind
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3-4 garlic pods (optional)
• Salt to taste

Heat little oil in a pan and roast the ingredients till these turn golden brown. On cooling, grind it to a coarse powder and store it in a dry container.

10. Nuvvulu podi / spicy sesame seeds powder

Nuvvulu podi is yet another most relished item by the Telugu people. The powder is served in most of the hotels / restaurants in the state along with Kandi podi. The powder is even used in making many vegetable curries and is even used in making iguru. Nuvvulu podi is also used for making nuvvulu pulihora / tamarind rice.

• 2 cups of white sesame seeds / til
• 1 tbsp Bengal gram / chana daal
• 1 tbsp black gram / urad daal
• little cumin seeds / jeera
• little coriander seeds / dhania
• 8-10 dry red chillies (as per liking)
• asafoetida as per liking
• salt

Dry roast the ingredients separately and on cooling grind to powder separately. Roast sesame seeds till these turn dark brown and on cooling grind just for a couple of seconds. Note, if you grind the sesame seeds for long, these will form lumps. Mix all the ground powders, blend it well and store in a dry air tight container.

11. Endu kobbari podi / spicy dry coconut powder

Endu kobbari podi or spicy dry coconut powder is easy to make and can be stored for several days. It goes well with idlies, upma, dosas and even plain rice.

Ingredients

• 1 tsp vegetable oil / ghee
• half cup black gram / urad daal
• half cup bengal gram / chana daal
• 8-10 dry red chillies
• 1 cup dried coconut powder / one full dry coconut
• salt

Preparation

1. If you take dry coconut, grate it to powder and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and fry black gram, bengal gram and dry red chillies till these become light brown in color and then allow it to cool.
3. Fry coconut powder without oil over low flame for a couple of seconds and keep it aside.
4. On cooling grind the dals and when these are half ground add coconut powder and salt to it and grind it again
5. Avoid lump formation while grinding coconut.
6. If you want you can add garlic pods and small lemon-sized seedless tamarind to this at the time of grinding. This is not compulsory but purely as per likes.
7. Store this in a dry air tight container and enjoy with idlies, dosas and even rice.

12. Nalla karam podi

Nalla Kaaram is a dark powder mostly prepared by the Telugu people and is used along with rice, idlies, dosas and upma as well and this powder is stored for few months when kept in dry glass container.

Ingredients

• 100 gm dry red chillies
• 100 gm salt
• 25 gm tamarind
• 25 gm coriander seeds
• 50 gm garlic
• 25 gm polished urad daal (black gram)
• 1 tsp jeera (cumin seeds)
• 1 tsp methi (fenugreek seeds)
• little turmeric powder
• curry leaves

Shallow fry red chillies in little oil till they are slightly blackish. Add all the rest of the above ingredients one after the other and roast it on simmer till done. Grind it in a mixer on cooling and store in a dry container. This goes well with idlies an dosas.

13. Idli podi

• 1 cup split black gram / urad daal
• 1 cup split Bengal gram / chana dal
• 10 to 12 dry red chillies or as per taste
• Pinch of asafoetida
• Salt to taste

Variation in Idli podi

• 1 cup dry coconut powder
• 1 cup chana dal
• 1 tbsp jeera
• 12 -15 dry red chillies or as per taste
• Pinch of asafoetida
• Salt to taste

Dry roast the above ingredients, grind to powder on cooling and store in a dry air tight container.