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