Sambar Powder (Kuzhambu Milagai Podi)

A very versatile podi that every other household in Tamil Nadu would always have this at home. The recipe is passed on from one generation to the other. Each family would have this for sure, only difference would be the change in ingredients or the proportions. We use it in sambar, kuzhambu, stir fry of vegetables like Okra, Potatoes etc and even in rasam.

Sambar Powder at my home is made from my grand mother's recipe. She changes it according to each one's preference of taste. I love my podi to be spicy added with loads of coriander, so she would accordingly tweak the podi. 

Each ingredient is sun dried and taken to a dry mill to grind to a very fine powder. Here at Pune I don't find any mill that grinds Sambar Powder, so I get my stock when I go to Chennai and freeze it. My stock generally lasts upto 5 or 6 months.

 What do you need:

1. Dried red chilies - 1/4 kg
2. Coriander seeds - 1/4 kg
3. Toor dal - 1 3/4 cup
4. Channa dal - 3/4 cup
5. Black pepper - 50 grams
6. Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp
7. Turmeric (long turmeric) - 2 nos

How to go about:

1. Take all the ingredients and sun dry them completely. 
2. Add all of them to a dry clean container and grind it from a dry mill.

Points to note:

1. The proportions of each ingredient except fenugreek is purely your choice. Fenugreek if added in excess would give a bitterness to the powder.
2. If you are grinding it at home, make a small batch. First roast all the ingredients until aromatic in a dry heavy bottomed pan and then grind it.
3. Also before grinding these in the mixer, first coarsely grind them in a mortar and pestle and then grind them in a mixer. 
4. This can be used in stir fry of okra, potatoes and other curries too. 
5. If you do not get hold of long turmeric, you can add turmeric powder (1 tsp) 

Njoy making...

Luv...

Champa

Homemade Instant Rasam Podi

Rasam is a famous South Indian accompaniment for rice. Very flavorful, aromatic and there are so many varieties. We Tamilians need rasam and sambar, as we cannot live without it!!! Sometimes with pepper, sometimes with garlic and even with lemon, pineapple, plums, orange.... so on the list goes

This was a recipe that I made when I had to leave for my mother's place (Chennai) for my delivery, because hubby dearest is all alone. All he had to do was chop some tomatoes and coriander. Boil 1 cup of water with 1 tbsp of this powder and boil everything together. Tadaa!!! Rasam is ready!!!

What you need:

1. Toor Dal (tuvaram paruppu) - 1 cup 
2. Pepper - half of quarter cup (1/8 cup) 
3. Jeera & Coriander Seeds - half of quarter cup (1/8 cup)
4. Dry red chilies - 5 - 6 nos (increase / decrease according to your preference)
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Tamarind - lemon size ball
7. Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
8. Sugar - 1/4 tsp

For the tempering:

1. Ghee/ Refined Oil - 2 tsp
2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
3. Curry leaves - a small bunch

How to go about it:

1. Heat a thick bottomed kadai and dry roast each ingredient from No. 1 - No. 4 separately, until they are aromatic. Let these cool completely.
2. Make a tempering of mustard seeds and curry leaves in ghee and keep it aside. 
3. Now, add tamarind, turmeric powder, asafoetida, sugar to the roasted ingredients and grind them all together to a fine powder. Spread this powder on a plate and cool completely.
4. Now, add the tempered ingredients and mix thoroughly.
5. Store it in an air tight container and freeze.

How to make rasam:

1. To a cup of water, add 1 tbsp of this powder. Add chopped tomatoes, coriander leaves, salt and let it boil for about 5 minutes. Your rasam is ready.

Points to remember:

1. You can increase/ decrease the quantities of pepper, jeera, red chilies and coriander according to your taste. 
2. If the powder turns out too spicy, then roast a bit of toor dal, powder it and add it to the powder.
3. Garlic powder can be added, but its flavour doesn't really show up while making the rasam. Instead you can fry some garlic in ghee and add while boiling the rasam.
4. The ground powder needs to be cooled completely and then only stored. Otherwise it might get spoilt.
5.  Freezing the powder and use it only while making the rasam. This ensures that the flavour and aroma is always remain as it is.

Njoy with your loved ones...

Luv...

Champa...

Milagai Podi (Gunpowder)

A very pungent, yet little sweet, tangy and extremely tasty side for idly's and dosa's. This is a must have in every tambram household and we cannot do without it. We usually refer making this powder as 'thirikkardhu' in tamil. I always would wonder why in english its named as Gunpowder??? but then the pungency of this one is more powerful and as equal to getting shot I guess!!!

Recently, I had run out of this podi which my mother had made when she visited us. And I cannot do without it!! So called up my granny at Chennai and got her recipe, which I love totally. First, the ingredients needs nice roasting and my house was intoxicated in the aroma of the dals getting coated and roasted in coconut oil. And think how it would have been after powdering this heavenly rocker??? Very simple and easy to make. 

What you need:

1. Dry red chilies - 1 cup
2. Urad dal - 1/2 cup
3. Channa dal - 1/4 cup
4. Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
5. Black/ White sesame seeds - 2/3 tsp
6. Coconut oil - 1 tbsp 
7. Tamarind - a small lemon sized ball
8. Jaggery - according to your preference
9. Salt - to taste

How to go about it:

1. First, dry roast the sesame seeds until fragrant and keep aside. 
2. Add oil to a pan, coconut oil is the best. If you donot prefer the aroma of the same then you can use refined oil. But no ghee or olive oil.
3. Roast each ingredient except jaggery and tamarind until they are aromatic. You can add the hing/ asafoetida to any of the dal so that it gets mixed along with the ingredients.
4. Spread all of them on a plate and let them cool down completely. 
5. Add the chilies and the sesame seeds to a mixer jar first and grind them. Now add the rest of the ingredients and salt and powder it. You can do it a little coarse if you like the crunchiness of the dals on your palate or to a fine powder.
6. Again, cool the powder and then store it in a dry airtight container.

Note:

1. You can increase or decrease the quantity of the chilies according to your taste.
2. While you roast the chilies, make sure they do not turn black. This will spoil the taste. You need to keep tossing them continuously to avoid this.
3. Increasing the quantity of the dals will make the powder a little less spicy. But, if you prefer then you can even increase the same.
4. This powder can be stored easily upto 5 or 6 months in room temperature and if you freeze it it can be stored upto a year.
5. Some people add dry roasted coconut (kobra). Adding this is upto one's preference. But the shelf life would not be long.
6. Do not consume the powder on the day it is made as it is extremely pungent. Let it rest for a day or two. 

Serve with a big splosh of gingelly oil or ghee....that  makes it even more heavenly!!!!

Njoy with your loved ones...

Luv...

Champa

Kanji/ Sathu Mavvu Podi (Multigrain Porridge Powder)

Sathu - Nutritious, Maavu - Powder. The very name says that it is a nutritious health mix. A mix of multiple grains and nuts, rich in protein and other nutrients. This is a wonderful breakfast for those who would like to diet and a starter food for your 6 month old child.

 This is an age old recipe and a super food. One glass is enough to keep you going until lunch time. You can even drink a glass of this kanji (Porridge) at night. It's totally filling. So now, a question would rise in your mind. Will I gain weight??? nope... this will not help you to gain weight, instead will give you stamina and boost your immunity.

A lot of us South Indians give this to our 6 month old children as one of the first solid foods. Ingredients may vary but the richness does not.

What you need:

1. Ragi - 250 grams
2. Bajra - 250 grams 
3. Sabudana - 100 grams
4. Wheat - 100 grams
5. Green Moong - 100 grams
6. Peanuts - 100 grams 
7. Barley - 100 grams
8. Chutney dal - 100 grams
9. Par boiled rice - 100 grams
10. Badam & Cashew nuts - 20 each
11. Elaichi - 4 

How to go about it:

1. In a dry heavy bottom kadai, roast each ingredient (except elaichi) separately until aromatic.
2. Spread them on a plate to cool down and grind it in the flour mill.
3. When you get the powder, spread it on newspaper and leave it to cool down and store this is in a dry airtight container. If you like to store this for more than 3 months, then seal them in freezer safe bags and freeze them. They would hold good up until 6 months to 1 year.

How to prepare the porridge:

1. Take about 2 tbsp of this powder mix it with 1 1/2 cup of water. Bring it to a boil. Keep stirring the whole time to avoid lumps.
2. Add about 1/2 cup of milk and sugar/ palm sugar and drink.
3. If you don't want milk, then you can avoid it too.

Njoy a healthy drink!!!

Luv

Champa