Day 2 of the blogging marathon and today is all about “spice powders”. “Podi” which means powder is a staple in many houses. It is simple to make and stores very well and is perfect for those crazy days . There are various kinds of spice powders and each has its own use. This podi is usually eaten mixed with rice and some oil (1/2 tsp of oil). You can go the extra mile and use ghee instead of oil. There are other podis which mainly serve the purpose of a dip like idli milagai podi. Regarding storage some podi’s like coconut podi need to be stored in the refrigerator whereas some can be stored in the cabinets.

Years ago I would be eating curd rice while K would enjoy the podi rice. It took a while for me to get used to the idea of mixing podi and rice as my mom never made it, but it is very common in my inlaws place. Still I am picky in what podi I like . If you love the flavor of coriander seeds, then this is for you. If you are not used to podis, I would suggest you make in smaller quantities to avoid surprises. There is really no recipe here. Just roast the ingredients, cool and grind. How simple is that? Since podi rice is normally dry, it is paired with some gravy like kootu. Off to the recipe.

Ingredients
1/2 tsp oil
4 tbsp dhaniya
2 tbsp urad dal
2 tbsp channa dal
1/2 tsp pepper
3 red chililes
Little bit of Asafoetida
salt – to taste

Yields
About 1/2 cup of podi

Notes
1. Coriander seeds podi can be stored in an air-tight box in the cabinet for a month.
2. Another use of this podi would be to jazz up any kootu. Just add 2 tsp of this podi to the vegetable+dal mixture and see how that enhances its taste.


Method
In 1/2 tsp of oil roast the ingredients together taking care not to burn them.

Allow to cool.

Take in a mixie / coffee grinder. Add salt and grind to a powder. I leave it a little coarse to get a texture when mixed with rice.

Now, how simple was that? Enjoy with some hot rice and ghee. Comforting and tasty

Checkout some kootus to pair with podi rice. Spinach Kootu and Avarakai Kootu

Enjoy!

Linking to B2B by Desi Soccer Mom and to Valli’s Condiment Mela.

Check out what other BM Marathoners are cooking.