Idli Podi or Milagai Podi is a South Indian condiment that is popularly served with steamed idli. This powder is earthy, smoky, spicy, and slightly crunchy.
Here are two of my other favorite condiment recipes, that are often prepared at home to serve on the side with South Indian meals – Karivepaku Podi and Andhra Style Peanut Chutney Powder.
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About This Recipe
It was only during my stay in Bangalore, I came to know about the various options that can be served along with Idli, Dosa, or other South Indian breakfast dishes. Idli Podi was one of them and also a very new dish for me!
Podi or Pudi in South India means powder. This powder made using dry red chilies is a flavorful South Indian condiment that is most popularly served with idli and hence it is called Idli Podi.
It has many other names like Milagai Podi, Gun Powder, Idli Karam Podi, or Chutney Podi. Each region has a slightly different way of preparing it with the basic ingredients remaining the same.
Milagai Podi has an earthy, smoky, nutty, and spicy flavor and it is slightly crunchy in texture. The powder is vegan and can be easily made gluten-free by skipping the hing or asafoetida.
This powder is super versatile and apart from serving it with idli, it can be sprinkled on literally anything that you eat.
This Gun Powder is,
- Vegan
- Tasty
- Versatile
- Easy + Quick
- Perfect to store for a month
Ingredients
To make this Idli Podi, you will need – urad dal(split skinned black lentils), chana dal (Bengal gram), white til (sesame seeds), hing (asafoetida), curry leaves, dry red chilies, and fresh coconut.
I like to use Kashmiri Red Chillies or Byadagi Chillies to make it as they are not too hot and gives a nice color to the powder. You can use any chili that you like. You can even adjust the quantity according to your taste.
Dry roast everything, cool down and then grind to make a powder.
If you do not have fresh coconut, you can also roast desiccated coconut and add it to this recipe. Dry coconut also works great.
How to make Idli Podi?
Dry roast ½ cup urad dal, ½ cup chana dal, and 2 tbsp white sesame seeds over medium-low heat in a medium-size pan till slightly browned and fragrant. Keep stirring while roasting. Once roasted, remove them on a plate.
In the same pan, add 2 tsp of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add ¼ tsp hing and 15-20 curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds. Remove on the same plate with the lentils.
Add 20-25 dry red chilies and fry for a few seconds. I used Kashmiri red chilies as they give a nice color to the podi and they are not too spicy.
Once the chilies are slightly roasted, add ¼ cup of grated fresh coconut to the pan and fry till slightly browned.
Remove on the same plate. Let the mixture cool completely.
Grind all the roasted ingredients in a heavy duty grinder to make a coarse powder. If the quantity is too much, then grind the podi in batches. Once all of it is ground, mix all the batches together.
Add salt and mix well. Store the podi in a glass container for upto a month and use as required.
Pro Tips by Neha
Try to keep the ingredients in strong sun for a day for best result.
Use fresh good quality ingredients.
Stir the ingredients often while roasting and roast them on medium low heat.
Cool the ingredients well before grinding. Grind them in short bursts otherwise, sesame seeds can release the oil and the powder will become be moist.
You can grind the power coarse or smooth. I like to keep it slightly coarse as I like that texture.
Use a fresh dry spoon to take out the milagai podi.
Variations
With garlic – To make Milagai Podi with Garlic, finely chop ¼ cup of garlic. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and roast the garlic until browned and crisp. Add it to the below-mentioned recipe.
With Peanuts – You can roast ¼ cup peanuts and add them to the recipe. Almonds works great too.
Andhra Style – To make Andhra version, add coriander seeds and omit sesame seeds.
Flaxseed – Add ¼ cup of roasted seeds to the podi.
Storage Suggestions
Idli Powder can be made in bulk and can be refrigerated for up to a month in a refrigerator. Make sure you store it in an airtight container and use a dry clean spoon every time you serve it.
Usage Suggestions
Milagai Podi can be served for your breakfast with dishes such as Dosa, Masala Dosa, Idli, Rava Idli, Rava Dosa, Uttapam, Neer Dosa, Upma, Set Dosa, Semiya Upma, Paniyaram, and whatnot.
Mix it with some hot Gingelly Oil (Sesame Oil) or hot Ghee and smear the mixture over the idlies. You can try coconut oil too.
I like to sprinkle some over my curd rice for a nice kick.
You can smear it over the dosa while cooking it and either serve it plain or add some spicy potato masala on top to make Podi Masala Dosa.
If you are stir-frying the leftover Idlis, add some of this powder to add that spicy flavor to it.
You can serve it on the side with your South Indian meals or just sprinkle it over Rice along with ghee.
You can also add this Gun Powder in your dry sabzis, curries, and pulavs to add an instant flavor to the recipes.
I like to sprinkle some in my sandwiches too.
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Recipe Card
Idli Podi Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup split and skinned black lentil/urad dal
- ½ cup Bengal gram/chana dal
- 2 tsp sesame seeds/white til
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- ¼ tsp asafoetida/hing
- 15-20 curry leaves
- 20-25 Kashmiri dry red chilies
- ¼ cup grated fresh coconut
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Dry roast ½ cup urad dal, ½ cup chana dal, and 2 tbsp white sesame seeds over medium-low heat in a medium-size pan till slightly browned and fragrant. Keep stirring while roasting. Once roasted, remove them on a plate.
- In the same pan, add 2 tsp of vegetable oil. When the oil is hot, add ¼ tsp hing and 15-20 curry leaves. Fry for a few seconds. Remove on the same plate with the lentils.
- Add 20-25 dry red chilies and fry for a few seconds. I used Kashmiri red chilies as they give a nice color to the podi and they are not too spicy.
- Once the chilies are slightly roasted, add ¼ cup of grated fresh coconut to the pan and fry till slightly browned.
- Remove on the same plate. Let the mixture cool completely.
- Grind all the roasted ingredients in a heavy duty grinder to make a coarse powder. If the quantity is too much, then grind the podi in batches. Once all of it is ground, mix all the batches together.
- Add salt and mix well. Store the podi in a glass container for upto a month and use as required.