Garlic Paruppu Podi

 Garlic paruppu podi is a recipe from Andhra Pradesh. Many restaurants on Andhra serve this as the first dish along with hot ghee and or gingely oil. The perfect combination of lentils, garlic and spices makes it quite aromatic and is easy to make at home in lesser quantity.Grind it coarse or fine powder according to the family's preference. We prefer a fine powder where as my friend's family prefer a coarse one as they love the crunch while eating with rice. 

Ingredients:
Garlic - 12 pods with skin (the bigger variety is preffered)
Gingely Oil - 1 tbsp
Toor dal - 3/4th cup
Fried Channa Dal (Pottu kadalai) - 1/2 cup
Black pepper - 1 tsp
Red Chillies round - 6 nos
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece
Salt to taste

Method:
Smash the garlic along with skin. Add 1/2 spoon oil to the pan and when it is hot add the smashed garlic to it and saute it a little and remove from flame and set aside. 
Add the remaining oil and fry thoor dal when it starts turning brown add the black pepper and red chillies. Roast this on low flame. Add the asafodieta and fry till it becomes fried.  When the thoor dal turns golden brown add the roasted channa dal(pottu kadalai) and saute for a few seconds till it looses its raw smell. 

Remove from flame and let it cool. Grind the fried items along with salt and the fried garlic. 
Serve with hot rice and ghee.

Dry Fruits Powder

Any kheer or payasam is always a welcome dish when it comes to a festival or party.

Ingredients:
Cashew nuts - 1 cup
Badam - 1 cup (soak and deskin)
Cardamom - 8 nos
Ground nut - 1 cup (deskinned)
Dry grapes - 1 cup
Walnut - 1/2 cup

Method:
Dry roast cashew, badam and ground nut one by one in a pan. It should be roasted in low flame. Grind it together with cardamom, dry grapes and walnut.

Add 2 spoons of this powder to 1 cup of warm milk along with a spoon of sugar. This is a very good health drink. A spoon of this powder can be added to a cup of corn flakes and milk.

Sukku Malli powder

Mixing this powfer with hot rice and ghee and having one or two balls once in a week is good for relief from stomach disorders. Can also take when there is severe body pain and ache.

Ingredients:
Dry Ginger - 1 inch
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Dry roast coriander seeds and dried ginger separately. Grind them to a fine powder along with salt.

(Alternatively, 1 sp of dried ginger powder and 2 spoons of coriander powder and 1/2 spoon of salt can be mixed together).

Ready Mix Powders

Most of the south Indian households will have all of or a few of these powders (podis) ready which can be mixed with hot rice and ghee or gingely oil and have it.

*Curry Leaves Powder
*Coriander Leaves Powder
*Thuvar Dal Powder (Paruppu Podi)
*Horse gram Powder for weight reduction
*Garlic Powder
*Processed Channa Dal Powder
*Coconut Powder
*Mint Leaf Ready Mix Powder
*Mixed Dal Powder
*Spicy Pea nut powder
*Nalla Kaaram
*Metkut
*Verusenaga Podi
*Kollu Kalathu Podi

*Instant Rawa Mix to make different Rawa dishes

Kollu Kalathu Podi - A tribute to Jayashree Kailas

Our fellow blogger, Jayashree Kailas of Experiments in Kailas Kitchen. She is a wonderful blogger who have passed away on 12th of October due to Pneumonia. Though I have not interacted with her much, I have always liked  and reffered to her blog posts, when it comes to cooking Kerala style recipes. 


I make Paruppu podi and keep stock regularly as kids love it. But, this seems to be quite different.  Kollu Kalathu Podi. I have herd that eating Kollu (Horegram) helps in weight reduction and also in reducing cholestrol level. 


Ingredients:
Horsegram (Kollu) - 1 cup
Bengal Gram Dal - 1/4 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp (or 4 to 6 corns)
Asafodeita - 1/2 inch piece
Red Chillies - 4 to 6 nos
Salt as required


Method:
Dry roast the dals one by one in a pan till they release a nice aroma. Add 1/4 tsp of gingely oil and fry asafodeita, red chillies, pepper corn. Allow it to cool and grind Horsegram first to a fine powder then grind all the other ingredients together and mix well. 


Serve with hot white rice and ghee or gingely oil. 

Verusenaga podi (Peanut and Copra powder)

Ingredients:
Peanuts - 2 cups
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Red chilly - 8 nos
Dry coconut (Copra) - 1/2
Garlic cloves - 15 nos
Gingely Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - a few
Salt to taste

Method:
Dry roast the peanuts. Remove the skin by rubbing them with hand. Add oil to the pan and add the remaining ingredients to it and fry till they become golden brown in colour. Spread in a plate and grind it along with ground nuts to a fine powder. This can be served with hot rice and ghee.

Metkut

Ingredients:
Processed Channa Dal whole - 1 cup
Rice - 1/2 cup
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Whole wheat - 2 tbsp
Cumin seed (Jeera)- 1 tbsp
Red chilly - 4 nos
Asafodeita - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Fenu greek seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Roast Whole Bengal gram, rice, urad dal, wheat, jeera, red chilly, fenu greek and coriander seeds one by one without oil. Spread them on a plate and when cold dry it to a fine powder. If not fine, can be seived and then store it in a jar.

Can be had with hot rice and ghee. (The rice that is to be prepared for this mixed powder should be extra soft and Kids friendly recipe.

Instant Rawa Mix for making different dishes

Ingredients:
Rawa - 1 kg
Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp
Urad Dal - 6 tbsp
Channa Dal - 8 tbsp
Cashew Nut - 24 nos
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Red Chillies - 8 nos
Asafodeita - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 6 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp

Method:
Fry Rawa in a dry pan and let it cool.

Add ghee and oil to the pan and add mustard seeds when it splutters add Urad dal, channa dal and cashew nuts. When the dals start turning  golden brown in colour add the red chillies. Reduce the flame to medium and add the rawa and fry well. Remove from flame and add asafodeita and mix well. Store in airtight container.

Can be used to make rawa idly, rawa upma or rawa dosa whenever needed.

Nalla Kaaram - Black Chilly Powder

Ingredients:
Red chillies - 1/2 kg
Crystal salt - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - 1 big lemon size
Coriander seeds - 2 1/2 cups
Garlic - 1/4 kg
Black Urad dal - 2 1/2 cups
Cumin seeds - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp
Asafodeita - 1 inch piece
Turmeric powder - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - 1 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:
Spread the red chillies in a plate and leave it in sun for about 5 to 6 hours. In a dry pan fry the fenugreek seeds till it turns golden brown. (Fry it not more than a minute). Fry the black urad dal in a dry pan till it turns pink in colour. Fry the coriander seeds in low flame till it turns slightly brown in colour. Add the cumin seeds just before removing the coriander seeds from the pan.

Fry the chillies in about 5 tbsp of oil till it turns slightly black. Add the asafodeita piece too along with the red chillies. Cut the tamarind into small pieces and add it to the oil and fry it too along with the red chillies.

Peel the garlic and fry it in little oil till it becomes crispy.

Let all the ingredients cool and powder them one by one to a fine powder. Transfer it to an air tight container.

This is a great Andhra style rice mix powder. But it had to be had with atleast 2 to 3 tbsp of ghee lest, one would end up with burnt tongue. This powder is very very hot and spicy.

Can also be had as a side dish for idly and dosa by mixing it with gingely oil.

Saaman Podi - Spicy podi for mixing with rice.

This is one powder that can be made and stored. Can be used in any kind of emergency.

Ingredients:
Thuvar Dal - 1/2 cup
Dhaniya - 1/4 cup
Gram Dhal - 4 tsp
Urad Dhal - 4 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 3 tsp
Pepper - 3 tsp
Red Chillies - 4
Jeera - 3 tsp
Salt, hing, Curry Leaves

Method:
Dry roast each ingredient one by one and grind it to a fine powder.

Mixed Dal Powder

Ingredients:
Thuvar Dal - 1 cup
Gram Dal - 1 cup
Urad Dal - 1 cup
Pepper - 4 tsp
Red Chilly - 18 nos
Salt to taste

Method:
Fry all the three dals separately till they turn golden brown. Fry pepper separately. Add just 1/2 tsp of oil to the pan and fry the red chillies. Let all the items cool. Grind them to a fine coarse powder.

Can be mixed with hot rice and ghee.

Mint Leaf Ready Mix powder recipe to eat with rice

Ingredients:
Mint Leaves Fresh - 2 cups
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Channa Dal - 1/4 cups
Red Chillies - 16 nos
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size
Salt to taste

Method:
Fry Mint leaves in a pan with just a drop of oil. It should become crispy. (Better keep it in microwave for about a min). Cut tamarind into small pieces and fry them in dry pan till it becomes crisp. Fry all the other ingredients in oil. Grind everything together to a coarse powder.

This makes a good recipe for indigestion. Should have it with hot rice and ghee.

Recipe for Coconut Powder

Ingredients:
Coconut - 1 no(grated)
Channa Dal - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Red Chillies - 16 nos
Curry Leaves - 1/4 cup
Asafodeita - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Tamarind - Big Gooseberry size
OIl - 1 tsp

Method:
In a pan heat 1/4 spoon oil and fry the coconut till it gets dry and reddish brown in colour. Cut tamarind into small pieces and fry it in a dry pan till it becomes dry. In the remaining oil fry the dals, red chillies, asafodeita and salt.

Let all the ingredients cool and grind it to a coarse powder. Makes a great side dish for steaming hot Idly. Can also be had with hot rice and ghee.

Processed Channa Dal Powder

Processed Bengal Gram Powder (Pottu Kadalai Powder)

Ingredients:
Processed Channa Dal (Pottukadalai) - 2 cups
Garlic - 1 full
Red Chilly - 6 to 8 nos
Cumin - 1 spoon
Asafodeita - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste.

Method:
Fry Cumin in dry pan for just a few seconds and keep it aside. Fry processed channa dal, red chilly one by one. Grind all the ingredients together with peeled garlic to a fine powder.

This can be had with hot rice along with ghee.

Recipe for Garlic Powder

Ingredients:
Garlic - 1 no (about 20 to 24 pods)
Processed Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Ground nuts - 1/4 cup
Red chilly - 12 nos
Salt to taste.

Method:
Mix all the above ingredients in a mixer and grind it to a fine powder. (Add garlic after grinding the other ingredients 2 or 3 times).

Store in an air tight container. Can be had as a side dish for idly or dosa along with gingely oil or can be mixed to hot rice with ghee.

Horse gram powder for weight reduction

Ingredients:

Horse gram - 1 cup

Red chillies - 10 nos

Asafodeita - 1 pinch

Salt to taste

Method:

Fry horse gram, red chillies and asafodeita in dry pan. When cold add required salt and grind it to a coarse powder. 

Add it to hot rice and ghee mix well. 

This is very good for cold and it also helps in weight reduction. 

Thuvar Dal Powder|Paruppu Podi

This is made is Thuvar Dal. Spiciness in the powder can be increased or decresed by increasing or decreasing the quantity of Red Chillies.

Ingredients:

Thuvar Dal - 2 cups

Black Pepper - 1 tsp

Red Chillies - 6 to 8 nos

Salt (Rock Salt) - 2 tbsp

Method:

In a pan dry roast Thuvar Dal, Pepper, Red Chillies one by one. Add salt at the end and fry it too. Grind it to a fine powder in a mixer.

How to serve it?

To one cup of hot rice add 1 tbsp of ghee. Add 1 1/2 tbsp of Paruppu Podi and mix well. 

Coriander Leaves Powder

Coriander Leaves Powder is also known as Kothamalli Podi in Tamil and Kothamalli Chammanthi in Malayalam

Ingredients:
Green coriander leaves - 2 cups
Bengal Gram Powder - 1/2 cup
Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
Tamrind - 1 small lemon size or Tamrind Paste
Red Chillies - 10 to 12 nos
Salt to taste
Oil

To season:
Mustard Seeds


Method:
Wash and clean the coriander leaves. Drain the water and dry it in shade for an hour or two. In a kadai add oil and fry the urad dal, bengal gram dal one by one. The add the red chillies and hing and fry them too. If you are using tamrind then add it to the hot kadai along with necessary rock salt and leave it for a minute. Add the coriander leaves and let it be in the kadai till it gets cold.

Add all the ingredients in mixer grinder and grind it without adding any water. When all have ground well, make it into small balls and store it in air tight containers. It can be stored in fridge for one year.

Curry Leaves Powder Recipe

It will be a difficult task to think of a different dish for every other day, especially when the women of the home gets sick. Here is one of the powders that can be kept ready.

Ingredients:
Curry Leaves - 8 cups (it should not be tender)
Red Chilly  - 20
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Hing - 1 small piece
Tamrind - 1 lemon size
Salt to taste
Gingely Oil - 6 tbsp

Method:
In a shallow pan, add the curry leaves and fry it dry till it becomes crisp. Remove and spread in a plate to cool down. Fry tamrind in the same dry pan


Add the oil, fry the hing in it. Add Urad dal and red chilly and fry it well till golden brown.

Grind it in mixie along with salt and tamrind. When the dal and other items becomes coarse in consistency, add the curry leaves and grind it to become a fine powder.

Note: Add this to hot rice along with ghee. This makes a great dish for parties and functions too.