Idli Podi / Uzhunnu Chammanthi Podi

 

Ingredients

1. Whole urad dal / uzhunnuparippu - 1 cup
2. Red rice (Kerala rosematta rice / kuthari) - 1 cup
3. Whole pepper - 2 tsp
4. Chilly powder - 1.5 tsp ( I added 3 tsp whole pepper corns and 1/2 tsp chilly powder. You can adjust these spices according to your taste preference.)
5. Coriander powder - 2 tsp
6. Hing / asafoetida - 1 tsp
7. Salt - To taste

Method

1. Heat a pan and roast the urad dal, whole pepper and rice at low heat, stirring occasionally. When they are about to turn brown, change the flame to medium heat and roast them until golden brown, stirring continuously. It will take around 20 - 25 minutes. ( Ariyum uzhunnum kadichal pottanam). Take care not to burn them. The color of this idli podi depends on how much you roasted them.

2. Switch off and add chilly powder, coriander powder, hing and salt. Mix well. Keep aside to cool. Grind to a coarse or fine powder in a mixer or coffee grinder. Store in an air-tight container, at room temperature. It will keep for at least 2-3 months. Mix required podi with enough coconut oil  / sesame oil and enjoy with dosa / idli.

 

 

 

Tips:

 

You can substitute red rice / kuthari / rosematta rice with Bengal gram / kadala parippu / chana dal.

Tomato and Dry Red Chilly Chutney

  If you are in search for a spicy and tangy chutney, this fits the bill. This is my mom’s recipe. Her basic dry red chilly chammanthi, made using crushed, fried dry red chillies, pearl onions, salt and oil, was too spicy for us kids. So she used to grind tomatoes along with the other ingredients to make it favorable to us. That way the chutney tastes tangy too. Tomatoes can be substituted with tamarind. This chutney is at its best when paired with idlis/ dosa.

Ingredients

1. Dry red chillies - 6 - 7  (You can adjust it according to your spice tolerance)
2. Pearl onions - 8 - 10
3. Tomato - 1 , seeded and chopped
4. Curry leaves - 4 - 5
5. Salt - To taste
6. Oil - 1 tsp  + 2 tsp
   

Method

1. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan. Fry the dry red chillies until they turn crispy and brown. Leave aside to cool.

2. Crush the dry red chillies in a mixer. Add the pearl onions and crush them. Finally add the chopped tomatoes and grind everything together.

3. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan. Add the above ground mixture and a few curry leaves to it. Stir the mixture at medium heat until the oil separates. It won’t take more than 6 - 8 minutes. Serve with idli/ dosa. It will keep for a few days in the refrigerator.

 

 

Tip:

 

You can temper this chutney with 1/4 tsp mustards, 1 dry red chilly and a few curry leaves. You can add more chopped tomatoes, pearl onions to make it less spicy.