Poondu Kadalai Milagai Podi – Chutney Podi

Crush the garlic bulb, including the skin, and set it aside.

Heat a heavy cast iron pan over low flame.

Add split Bengal gram (chana dal) to the pan and roast on low flame until golden. Be sure to maintain a low flame to prevent burning. Continuously sauté the lentils to ensure even roasting.

Once the Bengal gram turns golden, transfer it to a plate or bowl and let it cool.

In the same pan, add the split urad dal (dehusked black gram) and roast it until golden. It is important to roast each ingredient separately to achieve the desired color for each lentil. Set the roasted urad dal aside on a plate to cool.

In the same pan, add the raw rice. Any variety of raw rice, such as Ponni or Sona Masuri, will work well. Roast the rice until it becomes crisp and golden. Remove from the pan and let it cool.

Add coconut oil to the pan, followed by roasted peanuts, roasted Bengal gram (pottukadalai), curry leaves, Byadagi red chillies (for color), Guntur red chillies (for heat), and the crushed garlic. Adjust the amount of chillies according to your desired spice level. If using raw peanuts, roast them first before adding the other ingredients.

Roast all the ingredients over low flame until they become crispy. Ensure that the ingredients do not burn.

Once the ingredients are slightly roasted, turn off the flame. Add salt and asafoetida. Mix everything thoroughly and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

First, grind the roasted lentils and rice mixture to a fine powder in a blender or food processor. Lentils take longer to grind, so it is ideal to grind them first before adding the other ingredients.

To the ground powder, add the remaining roasted ingredients. If your blender jar is small, grind in batches as required. Use the pulse mode to grind the podi to the desired consistency.

Your Garlic Lentil Spice Powder (Poondu Kadalai Podi) is now ready! Mix the podi with sesame oil or ghee and mix with with rice or idlis for a flavorful meal.