Idli Podi | Idli Milagai Podi recipe

ABOUT

Idli Podi or Idli milagai podi is a Spice powder from lentils and red chilli. Since this is usually accompanied with Idli, it has got that name. In Tamil milagai means “red chilli” and podi means “powder”. It is a replacement to chutney and sambar. Since it is spicy, it is usually mixed with gingelly oil or normal oil or ghee or sometimes curd and used as a side dish for Idli and Dosa.

This is a traditional recipe which I have been doing for years and is one of my Mom’s recipe. There are many variations that can be made with Idli podi which will be discussed. Simply coating Idli with this Podi & Oil/ghee gives you the famous Podi Idli and similarly drizzling some podi and oil while making dosa gives you podi dosa. There are similar Podi recipes like Curry leaves Podi, Peanut Podi, Paruppu Podi etc., which can be consumed with rice also.

MAJOR INGREDIENTS

Lentils

This Podi is majorly made of roasted Urad dal and Chana dal. It is very important to find the best quality dal and also look into their expiry date and shelf life. Since Idli podi is going be stored at room temperature for a long period, the lentil’s shelf life plays a major role. Check for any white patches or holes in the lentils. If there is any try to avoid them.

Red Chilli

Spice is another most important thing in this recipe. Generally Idli Podi needs to be spicy (not too spicy though) and only then it elevates the flavor of other ingredients. If you like it very spicy use good quality guntur chilli or any spicy chilli (I personally prefer) .

In case you want less spicy podi, use Kashmiri chilli which has very less spiciness and gives a bright color. Choose chilli which are fresh and shouldn’t have any smell or white patches. This act as one of the preservatives for the podi

TIPS AND NOTES

1. Choosing fresh ingredients is very important as it increases your shelf life as well as tastes fresh every bite.
2. Roasting each ingredient separately to nice golden and till it is aromatic is a key to flavorful tasty podi. Since each ingredient has different roasting point it is recommended to do it separate.
3. Rock salt will also have moisture, so roast it for few seconds along with red chilli.
4. Choosing correct red chilli gives you the perfect spice to the podi. For super spicy podi use guntur chilli, in that case use half the quantity I have specified as it will be too spicy. I have used gundu milagai which will be medium spicy. In case you want less spice podi use kashmiri chilli, which gives bright color , but less spice. Have a mix of everything to get your desired level.
5. Sesame seeds that I have used is black, in case you couldn’t find it, use white sesame seeds. This gives a nutty flavor to the podi.
6. You can use 1 tbsp mustard seeds too, which I have skipped since I like the podi without it.
7. Curry leaves when roasted and powdered with the podi enhances the overall flavor and tastes so good.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS WITH PHOTOS

1. Dry roast urad dal and Chana dal separately till it turns golden and aromatic
   
2. Dry roast black sesame seeds till it starts to crackle. In absence you can use white sesame too. In case you dislike sesame seeds feel free to skip.
   
3. Similarly dry roast red chilli (see the tips to adjust the spice) and add salt and curry leaves along it to roast. Salt to be added while roasting in case you are using rock salt as it contains some moisture.
   
4. Cool all the ingredients and grind to semi coarse powder (Not too fine and not too coarse). In case you like fine powder, then go for it!!
   
5. You can mix it with ghee, gingelly oil or normal oil and enjoy with your Idli and Dosa.
   
   Happy Eating!!

STORAGE

This Idli Podi can be stored in air tight container under normal temperature for upto even 6 months or more. Generally we grind and use till the podi is all eaten :D. It has good shelf life in general.

Idli Podi | Idli Milagai Podi recipe

Author: foodiesroof Cuisine:South Indian Courses:Sides podi

Difficulty:BeginnerPrep time: 5 minutesCook time: 30 minutesRest time: 10 minutesTotal time: 45 minutesServings:200 gramsCalories:84 kcal Best Season:Available

Description

Idli Podi or Idli milagai podi is a Spice powder from lentils and red chilli. It is a replacement to chutney and sambar. Since it is spicy, it is usually mixed with gingelly oil or normal oil or ghee or sometimes curd and used as a side dish for Idli and Dosa.

Ingredients

• Urad dal – 1 cup
• Chana dal – 1/2 cup
• Sesame seeds (black) – 1 tbsp
• Red Chilli (Ramnad gundu) – 1 cup (adjust as per your spice level, see tips)
• Curry leaves – 1/4 cup ( 2 strips )
• Rock salt – 1.5 tsp
• Hing – 1/2 tsp

Instructions

1. Dry roast urad dal and Chana dal separately till it turns golden and aromatic
2. Dry roast black sesame seeds till it starts to crackle. In the absence you can use white sesame too. In case you dislike sesame seeds feel free to skip.
3. Similarly dry roast red chilli (see the tips to adjust the spice) and add salt and curry leaves along it to roast. Salt to be added while roasting in case you are using rock salt as it contains some moisture.
4. Cool all the ingredients and grind to semi coarse powder (Not too fine and not too coarse). In case you like fine powder, then go for it!!
5. You can mix it with ghee, gingelly oil or normal oil and enjoy with your Idli and Dosa.
   Happy Eating!!

Video

Keywords:Idli milagai podi, Idli podi, podi