Showing posts with label podi. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 15, 2025

Kollu Podi | Kollu Idli Podi | Horse gram podi

Kollu Podi / Kollu Idli Podi, a delicious spice mix made with horse gram as the main ingredient. It tastes great as a side dish for idli and dosai.

Kollu, also known as Horse gram, is popular in the Kongu region of Tamilnadu. While growing up, we never used kollu in our home. After marriage only, i heard about the kollu. Though it's not frequently used in my in-laws place, i heard about many recipes using kollu from the neighbours.

For the past few years, i have been using kollu in our diet occasionally. Out of various recipes that i have tried with kollu, this kollu podi is my favorite. If you're looking for a different style of podi for idli/dosai, then definitely give this a try!

Kollu / Horse gram

Kollu / Horse gram is a legume and it's widely consumed in Coimbatore or Erode district. Kollu is high in iron and calcium and including them in diet regularly would be highly beneficial.

There is a popular saying in Tamil " இளைத்தவனுக்கு எள்ளு; கொழுத்தவனுக்கு கொள்ளு". It means "Sesame seed for skinny; Horse gram for fat". I don't know how far that claim is true :-) But i believe in including varieties and moderation when it comes to food.

In this recipe, i have added urad dal and chana dal(1/4 cup) for 3/4 cup of horse gram. Instead of using two dal, you can use any one dal(1/4 cup).

Though you can use this podi as paruppu podi and eat it with rice, i personally like it as idli/dosai podi. But you can have this podi with rice and sesame oil/ghee on the top just like paruppu podi.

Ok, now let's check out on how to make this delicious and aromatic kollu podi.

Kollu Podi | Kollu Idli Podi | Horse gram podi

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 15 mins | Makes : 1 cup
Recipe Category: Spice Mix | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Kollu / Horse gram - 3/4 cup

Kadalai paruppu / Chana dal - 2 tbsp

Urad dal - 2 tbsp

Red chilli - 10

Garlic - 5 cloves

Curry leaves - 3 sprigs

Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp

Sesame oil - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Procedure

First, heat a pan and then add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the dals(chana dal and urad dal).

Roast them till they are golden brown and then keep it aside. In the same pan, add the red chilli, garlic and curry leaves.

Saute them till the curry leaves are crispy and then keep it aside along with the dals.

Finally add the kollu/horse gram in the same pan and saute till they starts to pop and then switch off the flame. Let all the roasted ingredients to cool a bit.

Add all the roasted ingredients into the mixie/blender jar along with asafoetida powder and salt. Grind them into fine powder.

That's it. Kollu Podi is ready. Let it cool down completely and then store it in the air tight container.

Related: How to make Ellu Podi

Notes:

Let the roasted ingredients to cool before grinding otherwise while grinding, the hot steam from the ingredients make the powder wet and reduce the self life of the powder.
Use dry and clean spoon for serving.

Tuesday, July 2, 2019

Curry leaves Powder | Karuveppilai Podi | Home made Spices

Karuveppilai podi, a delicious and aromatic spice powder made from curry leaves and dal. Curry leaves are good for our health and hair, having them regularly adds more benefit to our body and hair. Though i'm using curry leaves for all tempering in our cooking daily, out of habit from childhood, i do always pick those leaves and leave it aside while eating, many times just before putting the plates into the sink i had the realization that i haven't eaten a single curry leaves, every single one on the edge of the plate. It happens most of the time, seriously it's difficult to change the childhood habit, right?
This karuveppilai podi is one of my attempts to eat these leaves, usually we add a handful of curry leaves in the ellu podi/idli podi, here in this podi, instead of sesame seed, i have used lot & lots of curry leaves, the aroma from the curry leaves is so good and make it even more delicious. Just like paruppu podi, you can have it with rice too. But I prefer to have it with idli and dosa, the combination is simply amazing.Now, let's go and check out the recipe.

Curry leaves Powder

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Makes : 1/2 cup
Recipe Category: Spice Powder | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Curry leaves - 1 cup(tightly packed)
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Toor dal - 2 tbsp
Red chili - 3 to 4
Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to taste

Procedure

Heat the pan and add the curry leaves first, roast them till they are crispy . Once it became crispy, you can hear the sound while roasting. Remove from the flame and let it cool a bit.

Next, in the same pan add the urad dal, toor dal and red chili and roast them till it became golden brown and aromatic. Remove from the flame and let it cool.

First add the curry leaves in the mixie jar and pulse it couple of time, then add the dal mixture.

Then add the asafoetida powder and salt and grind them into powder.

Tada, Healthy Curry leaves podi is ready. You can serve this as side for idli or dosa. For more idli and dosa side dish, check out here .

Notes:

Be careful while roasting curry leaves, it easily get burned at the bottom.
If you take curry leaves in your hands and crushed it, it should turned into bits,that how well it should be roasted and in the same time not burned.
Curry leaves can be sun dried also for couple of days.
Adjust the chili according to your taste. The given quantity have mild heat.
I personally like the podi as bit coarse (not too fine) powder, but you can grind them into as fine as you like.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018

Sundal Podi | Sundal Spice Powder | Spice Mix

Sundal Podi, a flavorful spice mix used in sundal recipes. In our home, Amma never used this kind of spice mix for sundal, always made with simple tempering and grated coconut, so I was not aware of this sundal podi until recently.

I came across this recipe through Instagram and instantly bookmarked and tried it a few days back, the spice mix is really aromatic and gives a nice flavor and taste to the sundal.

Glad I gave this spice mix a try. In addition to the sundal recipe, it can be also used in various veg curries and stir fry. As navarathri/Golu season has started, make a batch of this spice mix, it will come handy for making the sundal in minutes.

Sundal Podi | Sundal Spice | Spice Mix

Preparation Time : 5 mins | Cooking Time : 10 mins | Makes : 1/4 cup
Recipe Category: Spice Powder | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients
Coriander seed - 2 tbsp
Red chili - 5
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Cumin seed - 1 tsp
Black pepper corns - 1 tsp

Procedure

Measure and add all the ingredients into pan, start roasting till it becomes aromatic and the dals change its color to golden brown, switch off the flame and let it cool.

Put into mixie/blender jar and grind into smooth powder. Store it in air tight container and use it as needed.

Flavorful Sundal Podi is ready.

Related : How to make Red Kidney Beans Sundal with Sundal podi

Notes:

The flavors are wonderful when it's fresh, so i recommend to make it in small quantity like i did here and used it within a week.
Keep the flame in medium while roasting the spices.
You can use the same spice mix for poriyal and other veggies too
The given quantity of chili and pepper is very mild, you can add more if you like more spice.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Ellu Idli podi | Dosai podi | Sesame seed podi

Ellu podi, a delicious spice mix made with dal, chili and sesame seeds.It tastes great with both idli and dosai varieties. It's one of our family favourites and i have a stock of this podi in my pantry always. It's so easy to make and having them in your pantry comes handy when needed.

As this podi has sesame seeds, it doesn't need more oil while serving this podi alongside idli and/or dosai. Even without any oil also, you can have this as it is !

Dal

For this podi, Amma always use skinned and split urad dal for great flavor. So mostly i use the skinned and split urad dal. But i had tried this podi with unskinned whole urad dal also. It tastes equally good however the color of the podi in a lighter shade.

Sesame Seeds

For the given recipe, you can use upto 1/3 cup of sesame seeds. Depends on your liking you can add more sesame seeds. Adding more sesame seeds gives great flavor and slight stickiness to the podi.

Ellu Idli podi | Dosai podi | Sesame seed podi

Preparation Time : 10 mins | Cooking Time : 20 mins | Makes : 2/3 cup
Recipe Category: Powder/Condiment | Recipe Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Red Chili - 25

Skinned Spilt Urad Dal/Whole urad dal - 1/2 cup

Black sesame seed - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 2 sprigs

Garlic pods - 5 to 7

Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt

Procedure

Measure and keep everything ready. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil in a pan,add urad dal, roast it till the wonderful aroma comes from the dal,at the time, the dal slightly changes its color, transfer the dal to another plate to cool.keep it aside.

In the same pan, next roast the red chili dal till it's become crispy and mildly changes its color.

Remove the chilies on the same plate.Then roast the garlic & curry leaves till the curry leaves turns crispy & set aside.

Finally add the sesame seed in the hot pan & close it with lid/plate immediately.It starts to pop,swirl in between to avoid burning at the bottom.Once the pop sound reduces, remove the plate(be careful) & let it cool.

Once all the ingredients are cooled,put all the ingredients in the mixie jar except sesame seed along with asafoedita & grind into semi coarse powder.

Now add sesame seed & salt and grind once again to fine powder.

That's it. Flavorful Ellu milagai podi is ready.Put it in air tight container. It will remain fresh even for months.

Related : How to make Kollu Podi / Horsegram podi

Notes

After grinding the sesame seed with other ingredients,the podi will stick to the bottom of jar, scrap the bottom of jar and give a pulse if needed.
The color of the podi depends on amount of sesame seed you're using.
You can use equal proportion of dal & sesame seed.it will give slightly sticky podi.
Curry leaves is optional but i highly recommend to add for great flavor.
Skinned urad dal gives great taste & flavor, highly recommend to use that.
Depends on the size, increase or decrease the garlic pods.

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Tuesday, April 15, 2025