Name: Idli Podi Recipe | Milagai Podi
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 1/2 cup Urad Dal (skinned split black lentil); 1/4 cup Channa Dal (Bengal Gram); 1/4 cup White Sesame Seeds; 10-12 Dried Red Chilies; 1/2 cup Curry Leaves; 1 tbsp Mustard Seeds; 1/4 tsp Asafoetida (hing); 1/4 cup Dried Coconut Powder; 2-3 cloves Garlic; 1/4 cup Peanuts or Flaxseeds

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Spice up any boring meal with this South Indian condiment. Made primarily of lentils and chilies, it’s hard not to fall in love with this hot and spicy explosion of flavours in your mouth.

Idli Podi or Gunpowder is a flavorful South Indian coarse spice powder condiment made with lentils, sesame seeds and spices. Podi for many is not just a condiment but it is an emotion.

It is like a flavour imbibed in every bite. Podi is a general South Indian word that means “powder”. In the Tamil language, the word milagai means red chilies and podi means powder.

The flavour of podi is quite unique and tasty. There is a slight crunch in it that comes from roasted lentils. The nutty taste comes from sesame seeds with some smokiness and pungency from red chilies and other ingredients.

More About Podi

This condiment is made with lentils, sesame seeds, curry leaves and chilies. Idli podi is always served with ghee or sesame oil. You will find different version of podi in different homes across regions.

Idli Podi is not just limited to idlis. You can serve it with Paniyarams, sprinkle it on Dosas, uttapams or make podi rice. It’s main purpose is to add a zing to your meal.

The recipe is pretty simple. You just have to roast the ingredients and grind everything together. There is some spiciness and heat in a typical milagai podi but you can control the heat as per your preference. There are variations to idli podi where some like to add dry coconut, garlic or peanuts.

The podi recipe that I am sharing with you is a recipe that I have been making for years. There is always a jar of podi at my house.

The days when I don’t feel like eating regular food, I simply mix podi, with hot rice, roasted peanuts and ghee- this takes you to food heaven for sure!

Step by Step Instructions

For detailed recipe, please jump to the recipe card below

1. Wash and soak channa and urad dal separately for an hour atleast in warm water. This step is optional. You can just wash the lentils, pat dry and roast them but soaking helps to soften the lentils and makes them easy to digest.

2. Bring a wide heavy bottom pan to medium heat. Add sesame seeds and roast them till they become slightly brown and start crackling and popping. Set aside in a large plate.

3. Roast curry leaves till the leaves become crisp and shrink in size. Set aside.

4. Pat dry urad dal with a kitchen towel. Add a tsp of oil and dry roast on medium flame till it becomes golden brown. Set aside on a large plate. It might take 15-20 minutes. Be patient! Don’t increase the flame to speed up the process. the dal with brown from the outside but will be raw from the inside.

5. Once urad dal is done, pat dry channa dal with a kitchen towel. Add another tsp of oil in the pan and roast channa dal on medium flame till it becomes golden brown. Again be patient while roasting.

Note: For uniform cooking and color, keep on stirring lentils often.

6. Now roast dry red chilies till you get a pungent smoky aroma from chilies. Set aside

7. Next add mustard seeds and roast them till they start crackling and popping in the pan. Set aside.

8. Once everything is well roasted, put it all in a blender. Add salt, asafoetida (hing) and grind well. Grind in intervals of some seconds to a coarse powder.

Note: Do not grind in one go for long as the sesame seeds will release oil.

9. Cool down podi and add it to an airtight glass or steel jar. This powder will easily last you 3 to 4 months.

Pro Tips

Always use fresh spices and lentils to make podi.

It is always better to soak lentils for an hour in warm water and dry them with kitchen towel before roasting.

I always add sesame seeds to make podi. It gives a great flavour and also is super nutritious. You can skip it if you like. Instead of sesame seeds, you can use flaxseeds or peanuts.

Do not roast sesame seeds for long or it will taste bitter.

To cut down the heat, you can use black peppercorns but this will give you more peppery flavour

You can also use 2-3 cloves of garlic if you like. Simply dry roast them till the rawness goes before blending.

If using coconut use good quality fresh copra and the old rancid one which will leave a very unpleasant coconut flavour. But remember using coconut will also reduce the shelf life of podi.

Storage

Store idli podi in an airtight glass or stainless steel jar at room temperature strictly away from any moisture. If kept in right conditions, away from humidity, this powder will last you 3-4 months.

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