Karappodi - Spicy Powder

This is an absolutely a very spicy powder especially prepared in villages. An incredible blend of spices.

Ingredients:

Dry chilli – 200 gms

Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds – 2 tsp

Garlic – 1 whole – nip the head and tails of the cloves

Curry leaves – Full bunch or couple of hand full leaves

Salt

Ghee – 2 tsp

Curry leaves, Red Chilli, Garlic, Fenugreek Seeds, Coriander seeds, Cumin

Heat a broad pan with ghee. Add dry chilli and roast them till they are half done.

Now add garlic cloves, fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds and curry leaves.

When everything is almost done, add cumin and toss for few seconds and remove from the flame.

Allow them to come to the room temperature.

Grind them into coarse powder.

Can be eaten with rice and a dollop of ghee or can be sprinkled over dosa.

Rasam Powder - 1

Rasam is an integral part of traditional south Indian meal. The meal would be incomplete with out the rasam. Each home has its own version of rasam. Rasam comprises of few to many spices. Each spice has got its own flavour and the concoction of spices, tamarind and tomato, will give the unique taste.

This rasam powder should last for about 2 months, if you prepare rasam at least 2-3 times a week for 4 people. Ensure you use fresh spices since the key to a good rasam is in its fresh spices.

There are lots of variations of rasam powders. I will be posting them in the near future.

Ingredients:

Coriander seeds - 1 cup

Cumin seeds - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek seeds / Menthulu - 1 tbsp

Black pepper - 1/4 cup

Raathi puvvu / Dagar na phool / Parmela Kamtschadalis - 1 fist full

Cloves - 6

Cinnamon - 2 inches stick
Dry chilli - about 20 or depending on your taste. 

Method:


Dry roast them separately until they spread the nice aroma and change their colour.


You can also roast them combining every thing except cumin due to their small size. When every thing is almost done, you can add cumin and roast for few minutes and remove them from fire.

Grind them into fine powder in a coffee blender or in any food processor.

Store the powder in a glass jar. 

Kobbari Podi - 2

This is another version of spicy coconut powder. Adding daal to the coconut will give the mouthful taste. Instead of stir fries, we can have this spicy powder as a side dish.

Spicy coconut powder

Ingredients:

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup

Toor daal / Kandi pappu - 1 tbsp

Coriander seeds - 1 tsp

Dry red chili - 5-6

Garlic cloves - 2-3

Salt

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chili, dry coconut, toor daal, coriander seeds and garlic

Heat a tsp of oil in a heavy bottomed vessel and roast the daal on low heat till light brown and the daal releases its flavor. Remove and cool.

In the same vessel and dry red chillis and the coriander seeds and fry them till they change their colour. Remove and keep them aside. 

To the same pan add the grated or sliced coconut pieces and roast on low heat for 3-4 minutes. Dont add any more oil to roast the coconut pieces.

Once the daals, red chillis and coconut pieces are cool, place them along with garlic cloves and salt in a blender and grind to make a powder of a crumbly consistency.

Store in an air tight container.

Kandhi Podi / Spicy daal powder

There are many versions of the spicy powders in South Indian Cuisine. One among them is this protein rich spicy daal powder. 

Ingredients:

1 small cup red gram/toor dal
1 small cup bengal gram/channa dal
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-8 dried red chillis (adjust)
Curry leaves 1 string
1/2 tsp asafoetida (Optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Bengal gram / Chana daal, Red gram / Toor daal, Curry leaves, Cumin, Red chili

Method:

Heat a heavy bottomed shallow pan and add both the daals and slowly, dry roast on low to medium heat stirring constantly till they turn red. Don’t burn them. Remove from pan and keep aside.

In the same vessel, add the cumin seeds and toss them on medium heat for 2-3 min. Remove from pan and keep aside.

Next drizzle some oil in the vessel, add the dry red chilies and curry leaves and stir fry for 3-4 min. Remove and cool.

Allow all the ingredients to cool down and grind them all to a slightly coarse or a rough texture by adding salt  and asafoetida.. Store in an air-tight container.

Served with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Pappula Podi / Roasted Chickpea Powder

An easy peasy spicy powder that can be prepared with out any cooking. Pappula podi is a versatile spiced powder that can be eaten with tiffin varieties like upma, dosa or idly. Any vegetable stir fry that is seasoned with this spicy powder will get enhanced flavor and brings an unique taste.

Roasted chickpea powder / Pappula podi, Spicy Coconut powder / Kobbari podi, Verusenagala podi / Peanut powder

Ingredients:
Roasted Chickpea - ½ cup
Garlic pods – 2-3
Red Chili  - 3 to 4 or Chili powder – 3/4th tsp
Desiccated Coconut - 1 – 2 tsp (optional)
Salt

Roasted chickpea / Putnalu, Garlic pods and red chili

Grind all the ingredients into fine powder.

Note: For making any spicy powders, do not remove the skin for the garlic pods. The garlic skin will enhance the flavour.

Chenigginjala podi / Spicy Peanut powder

This is a must have spicy powder in all houses at Rayalaseema that can be served along with upma, dosa, uthappam, idly. Even at some houses, they eat chapathi or rice with this powder by adding ghee.

Peanuts – 1 cup
Till / Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp
Jaggery – ½ tsp
Garlic – 3-4 pods
Salt
Red Chilli – 6-8 (adjust as per your taste)
Tamarind – a small piece

Red chili,Jaggery,garlic,peanuts and sesame seeds

Method:

Roast peanuts until the skin turns brown and allow them to cool. Remove the skin and keep them aside. In the same pan roast dry red chili until the black marks forms. Keep them aside. Roast sesame seeds as well. Allow all the roasted ingredients to cool down completely and grind them into powder by adding garlic, salt, jagerry and tamarind.

A nice substitute for pickles.

Munagaaku podi / Spicy drumstick leaves powder

This spicy powder gives a vibrant flavor to the palate and nutrition to the body.It is a rare combination of greens with the spices and added nutty taste of the roasted urad daal, which gives the unusual flavour.

The leaves are highly nutritious, being a significant source of beta-carotene, Vitamin C, protein, iron, and potassium. The leaves are used in Siddha medicine. The tree is a good source for calcium and phosphorus.

Moringa leaves and pods are helpful in increasing breast milk in the breastfeeding months. One tablespoon of leaf powder provide 14% of the protein, 40% of the calcium, 23% of the iron and most of the vitamin A needs of a child aged one to three. Six tablespoons of leaf powder will provide nearly all of the woman's daily iron and calcium needs during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Ingredients:
Munagaaku leaves– 2 cups
Urad daal – ½ cup
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Cumin / Jeera – 1 tbsp
Red Chilli – 8-10
Salt
Tamarind – marble size
Garlic – 3-4 pods

Drumstick leaves, Red chili, Coriander seeds, Urad daal, garlic pods, Cumin and Tamarind

 

Method:

Dry roast all the above ingredients except Munagaaku. Always roast the ingredients individually and under low medium flame. Make sure the leaves are clean and absolutely moisture free. If they are not dry, you can dry them in shade by spreading them on kitchen towels or cotton cloth. Dry roast the leaves separately until they reduced to half the amount and becomes dry.

Roasted leaves and other ingredients

Allow all the ingredients to cool down. Grind every thing coarsely except the roasted leaves. When they are half done, add salt and roasted leaves and grind every thing again into powder.

Munagaku podi

Can be served along with hot rice and ghee or with idlys.

Kobbari podi (Coconut powder)

This is a simple spicy powder with minimal ingredients. We use this powder is most of the stir fries (Thalimpulu)

Ingredients:

Dry coconut grated - 1 cup (Or chop the dry coconut into thin slices)
Red Chilli powder - 1 tblsp
Garlic cloves - 6 - 8
Salt

Chilli powder, coconut, garlic

Grind them all together to fine powder and store in a bottle and occasionally use in the recipes.

Coconut powder ready to go into the bottle

Note: Do not remove the skin from the garlic cloves as it enhances the aroma further.