Karu Vepalai (Curry leaf) Podi (Powder)

Introduction
Since I recently purchased a small dry grinder, I've been making my own spice powders whenever I have the time. These spice powders are great because (a) they don't spoil easily, and (b) they are excellent when mixed with cooked white rice and a little bit of oil/butter/ghee, so they're perfect a quick meal. The recipe below is for powdered curry leaves. I'll be posting some more podi recipes soon, and all of these recipes involve dry-roasting (or perhaps with a small amount of oil) lentils (one or more kinds) and whole red chillies, which are then ground together into a coarse or fine powder. Udad dal (split black gram lentil) is one of the main ingredients; -- it's also great for seasoning vegetables, FYI.

Ingredients:
Udad dal - 1/2 cup
Red chillies - 2
Asafoetida (hing) - 1/4 tsp or less
Curry leaves, dry - 1 to 3/2 cups (If you buy them fresh, destalk the leaves and set in a dry place for at least a few hours. Ideally you want them to crumble when touched)
Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste

Time: about 15 min total
Servings: makes about 1 cup.

Method:
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed vessel. Test the heat by adding a small amount of udad dal. The moment it starts to sizzle, add all the dal and stir continuously to coat throughout; keep stirring until the udad dal starts to turn golden brown. Scoop the dal out of the vessel into a bowl. To the same vessel, add the red chillies and asafoetida and stir until the red chillies start turning black (you'll probably start coughing and sneezing at this point, so be careful not to overcook!). Mix the red chillies + asafoetida with the udad dal, curry leaves and salt. Grind in small portions to fine or coarse powder. Test salt by mixing one spoon of the powder with some rice (1/4 c?).

To serve, mix 2 tbsp into 1 cup of white rice with sesame oil or ghee. Increase quantity if desired. Enjoy with side veggies or chips/papad.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan
Source: Mom's recipe

Milagai Podi (Spice powder for idlis/dosas)

Introduction:
Milagai podi literally means "pepper powder". Milagai podi consists of roasted lentils and red chillies that have been ground fine or coarse (for a more crunchy feel) and is served by mixing with sesame seed oil (vegetable oil can be used, but sesame tastes much better). It traditionally functions as a side dish (dip) for idlis and dosas, but I also use it as a dip for bread (baguettes) and chapatis. I also sometimes mix the powder with cooked rice and a spoon of oil/ghee for a quick meal.

Ingredients:
Chana dal - 1/2 cup
Udad dal - 1/2 cup
Dried red chillies - 2 cups
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Servings: makes about 2 cups of powder
Time: 10 min

Method:
Heat a wok until it starts to smoke. Bring the flame down to medium high, and dry roast the udad dal, stirring continuously until it starts to turn light brown. Repeat for chana dal. Set aside. Turn up the flame to high, heat the oil and after about half a minute, first add the asafoetida and mix well. Immediately add the red chilies and stir continuously to coat well. Fry until they start to turn black or you start to cough up a lung. Transfer immediately to a blender. Grind to powder. Mix the lentils together and grind bit by bit to desired coarseness/fineness with salt. Mix the powdered lentils and chillies together. This powder can be stored outside the fridge for a while.

Author: Shrinkingsodacan