Mint Podi / Pudhina Podi !

Refreshing, zingy and delightful, a dash of mint can set almost anything right. Mint is one of the oldest culinary herbs known to mankind. Its remarkable medicinal properties have made it one of the most commonly known and used herbs ever. Indians, especially are no stranger when it comes to mint.

There are numerous options to use mint. Mint Rice, raitha, chutney, thogayal, salad, vegetable pulao, tea (excellent digestive drink), buttermilk, and last but not the least, dry podi. A huge fan of mint, and being in a country where mint is similar to a jewel, you have to grow on your own to enjoy it whenever you crave for. I am a beginner in gardening and i seriously did not have any knowledge in it before growing it. So i thought i should start with a few "easy to grow" plants. I did some research online and listed down few plants which needs less maintenance. Everywhere, mint topped the list under the easy to grow and less maintenance plants. So, my joy knew no bounds. Because, a favorite herb which i can eat even almost everyday and takes very little effort to grow it on your own. I decided to start my gardening with "MINT". I bought a tiny plant for 3 dollars during the start of summer and planted it in my backyard. Mint is a weed, it spreads easily. Trust me, the whole summer , i used a lot of mint, made variety of dishes using it without buying it from shop even for a single time. Another amazing advantage is that, you can leave the plant without the leaves (the thick stalks) in the same place during the winter. It comes back again during summer. A perennial herb, which has so many types (sweet, pepper, cinnamon, lemon, apple, orange etc..) and amazing health benefits, from boosting digestion to keeping your breath fresh for long, mint is packed with a number of benefits and is a must plant in every garden. (Regular one is the sweet mint.)

Here are a few benefits from a doctor's blog :

1. Aids Digestion

2. Treats Asthma

3. Treats Common Cold

4. Cures Headache

5. Oral Care

6. Aids Weight Loss

7. Improves Brain Power

8. Skin Care

9.  Help ease symptoms Of Morning sickness or Nausea during pregnancy

10. Beats stress and depression

So, the season is going to end and I had to harvest all the mint leaves to prevent it from drying. I thought of making a staple which lasts at-least for a couple of months. Then, i got reminded of eating a delicious podi, a year back in my friend's place, here in Tulsa. She is our dear friend, her name is Brinda (Aunty). An excellent cook, who has so much passion in cooking. I called her immediately to get the recipe. She gave me the ingredients, measurements and the procedure. Thank you aunty for the recipe.

Preparation Time : 5 minutes + a day for drying the mint leaves

Cooking Time : 15 minutes

Ingredients : 

Mint leaves - 2 to 3 cups

Whole Urad dal - 1 cup

Channa dal - 1/2 cup

Whole black pepper - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - lemon sized ball

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt - as per taste 

Dry red chili - 7 to 8 long chilies (low to medium spice, increase or decrease accordingly)

Oil - 2 tsp 

Method :

Wash and dry the mint leaves. Mint will have sand. I washed it 4 to 5 times by soaking for 5 minutes each time until the sand gets deposited at the bottom. Repeat this process until the mint is completely sand free and is safe to consume. 

washed mint leaves!

Put it in a dry towel and allow it to completely dry. It might take 24 hours or at-least an overnight.

You can even sun dry it. That should take just half a day. I did not do it.

drying in a towel and close it with another towel , leave it for a day!

Now, start dry roasting the ingredients.

 

Ingredients before roasting!

Dry roast urad dal, channa dal , pepper, dried mint leaves separately and keep aside to cool.

Black pepper will crackle. Once it starts crackling, remove it from pan. Otherwise it will alter the taste.

In the same pan, add a tsp of oil and roast dry red chilies. Remove it and keep aside in the same bowl.

Again, add a tsp of oil, add hing and tamarind. roast it for a couple of minutes. Add salt to the hot pan. Keep it aside in the same bowl.

Roasted ingredients!

Allow the ingredients to cool down completely.  

Blend it to a fine powder. I prefer a finely ground powder rather than coarse one for this podi.

Store it in an air tight container. The shelf life is similar to idli podi and other dry podi's.

This podi is similar to paruppu podi. You can mix a tbsp of it with hot rice and ghee. Mint podi rice along with a fried curry or papad ! Awww.. Yumm :) 

You can use it like idli podi too, pairing it up with dosa, idli etc..

Enjoy !!

Curry Podi !!

This is the powder that i prepare regularly in big batches. It can be stored in air tight container and has shelf life for months. I freeze a part of this podi and keep a month's quanity outside. This podi is used as a spice powder along with the traditional sambhar powder to the dry curries. This can also be used as additional powder along with the sambhar powder to make arachu vitta sambhar without coconut. 

This is one of my favorite staple as i feel an incomplete cooking without the addition of this podi in my sambhar and dry curries. A healthy podi too, since one of the main ingredient is curry leaves. As i already mentioned, curry leaves is like gold and diamond for us and i try not to waste it. Whenever i get it from an Indian store or if someone gives me a handful, i keep few leaves for some dishes and use the remaining to make this podi. So the leaves are not wasted. I will never make this podi without the curry leaves. My previous batch got over, and i was waiting to make a new batch that is when my mom sent me stuffs from India that included powdered curry leaves. What else does my mind thinks? Obviously this traditional podi. 

 

Before moving on to the recipe, i should definitely mention the source of the recipe. Its my sister in law Archana who taught me this recipe. When we visited her house back in 2017, she made amazing kathirikai (eggplant) podi curry. She gave me a list of ingredients for the podi. I just added mustard seeds along with other ingredients. Let's move on to the recipe.

Preparation Time : 10 minutes

Cooking Time      :  20 minutes

Yield                    : 1kg

Ingredients: 

Coriander Seeds          - 2 cup

Channa dal                  - 1.5 cup

Whole Urad dal           - 1.5 cup (white)

Toor dal                       - 1.5 cup

Peanuts                        - 1 cup (i used roasted)

Rice                             - 1 cup (i used sona masoori)

Cumin seeds                - 1/2 cup

Methi seeds                 - 1/4 cup

Pepper powder            - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds             - 2 tbsp

Hing powder               - 1 tbsp

Curry leaves                - a bunch ( i used 100g of powdered curry leaves)

Red chilies                 - as shown in picture (i used mix of kashmiri , gundu and long chilli)

Oil                               - 1tsp

Optional :

Turmeric powder        - 1 tbsp (mix with the entire batch , i did not add because i always use a tsp in my dry curries) 

    

 

 

Dry roast the ingredients :

Coriander seeds, Channa dal, urad dal, toor dal, rice - dry roast separately and keep aside. Refer pictures.

Peanuts - if using roasted , dry roast it for just a couple of minutes! if using raw , roast it until the skin removes itself. But i used roasted peanuts. For roasting raw peanuts, check my Nuts Powder recipe.

Dry roast cumin and methi seeds together. A couple of minutes before removing it from the pan, add pepper powder and roast it. Remove and keep it aside.

Dry roast mustard seeds. It starts to crackle.Roast it until the crackling sound stops. Quite similar to sesame seeds. I have attached the video. Please check out.

Dry roast hing for a minute and keep aside.

Add a tsp of oil. Roast the red chilies. For the quantity, refer the below picture. Once done, keep it separately since red chilies are to be ground first followed by the rest of the ingredients.

Reason to add a mix of chilies : Kashmiri gives the color (no spice at all), gundu variety gives the spice and the long chili has less spice than the gundu one. 

Finally, add the powdered curry leaves to the hot pan without turning on the flame. Leave it for sometime. If you are adding whole curry leaves, add a tsp of oil and roast the curry leaves for a couple of minutes and blend it along with the other ingredients. I had powdered one in hand, so i used it up. 

The final roasted ingredients , keeping the roasted chili separately! Allow to cool it down before grinding.

Grinding part starts. Grind the red chilies first.

Now add the remaining ingredients to the mixi batch by batch , blend it to an almost fine powder and the red chilies and give a quick blend . Now, gently mix the ingredients well since its a big batch. 

Curry Podi is ready! This won't be spicy. You can add 1 to 2 tbsp along with a tsp of sambhar powder to 2 cups of dry vegetable curry. This works well especially with eggplant, okra, tindora, potatoes etc.. 

Shelf life : 1 to 2 months in room temperature, 3 to 4 months in freezer!

Try to make big batches. Trust me , small batches will be done in a couple of weeks and we won't feel the urge to make it again within a month. So, make the specified quantity which yields 1 kg!

Mixed Nuts Powder !

Nuts are an energy dense and nutrient rich food source. Any large, oily kernel found within a shell and used in food may be regarded as a nut. Because nuts generally have a high oil content, they are a highly prized food. I consider it to be extremely healthy, again taken at the right quantity. In my logo explanation post, I would have mentioned the importance of nuts.

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The allocation of nuts to an alphabet of “Khana Priyam” shows my love for nuts and seeds.

What made me prepare this? Obviously motherhood. When you have a little one who doesn’t want to chew anything , yet you want him/her to consume all the power packed food? Then the mom has to think beyond everything to ensure her child is getting all the nutrients (fibres, fats, proteins, carbs, calcium, vitamins and the list goes on) at the end of the day. I am so particular about his food and I use a tsp of it along with his healthy porridge mix every day.

This is not only for babies and toddlers. Adults can also use it in milk or porridges or just consume a tsp of it as such. 

Warning :

Many people including babies, toddlers might be allergic to nuts. Please remove the particular nut to which u are allergic and then proceed. If you are not aware whether you or your child is allergic, then please follow the 3 day rule. Here it is : 

Waiting 3-5 days between new foods is still advised by organizations like the American Academy of Allergies, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAI). "This slow process gives parents or caregivers a chance to identify and eliminate any food that causes an allergic reaction," according to the AAAI's website.

Ingredients :

Raw Peanuts  - 500 g

Almonds - 250 g

Cashews - 200 g

Macadamia Nuts - 200 g

Walnuts - 100 g

Pistachios - 100 g

Pecans - 50 g

Pumpkin Seeds - 75 g

Phool Makhana / Lotus Seeds - 50 g

Flax Seeds / Flax Seeds Powder - ¼ cup (I used flax seeds powder)

Turmeric Powder - ½ tsp

Saffron Threads - 3 to 4 strands

Green Cardamom - 5 g (Please increase the qty [up to 20g] if you need it more aromatic) 

Dry Ginger Powder / Sukku - 1 tsp

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 20 minutes

Yield  : 2.5 to 3 kgs

Measure the ingredients and keep aside.

Complete Ingredients - Before roasting!

Start dry roasting the ingredients. Do not use oil because nuts leave out oil during the roasting process. 

I used roasted Macadamia, Pistachios, Pumpkin Seeds and Pecan. Turmeric powder was already dry roasted. So I skipped the roasting step for these.

First , Dry roast Raw Peanuts. Reason to use raw peanuts instead of roasted peanuts is that raw peanuts have the skin and after roasting, I don't remove the skin. Peanut’s skin has its own benefits. 

Similarly dry roast almonds, cashews, walnuts. 

For the Phool Makhana, cut the phool makhana into half. Then dry roast it. Once they become crunchy, remove it from the flame and keep it aside. 

Chopped Phool Makhana

Chopped Phool Makhana - looks like!

Crunchy Phool Makhana

Finally add Green Cardamom, Flax seeds powder and saffron threads. Dry roast for a couple of minutes. If you are using flax seeds, roast it separately. Since I used powdered one, I roasted it along with cardamom and saffron for a couple of minutes. I used 5g of green cardamom. You can increase or decrease the quantity. It is purely for aroma. You can add up to 20g of green cardamom. 

Allow the entire ingredients to cool down completely.

All ingredients - Displayed ! Cooled down before blending

Now, blend it in a mixi and spread it on a paper. Leave it undisturbed for a couple of hours. Allow to cool it down. The powder will leave out the oil and the paper will absorb it. Then, store it in an airtight container. 

Cooled down in a paper

Absorbed oil!

Keep 1 to 2 cup quantities in the room temperature. Freeze the remaining.

Disclaimer :

Allergic to nuts is a serious issue, and don’t take it lightly and eat/feed it. Test before giving it to your child. This blog is not liable for any damages in connection with the use of this recipe. You are using it at your own risk.

Idli Podi - Version 1

Idli Podi , also known as milagai podi is a very important staple in a south indian pantry. It's a tasty, slightly coarse and a crunchy powder which i can never run out of because it's my family's favorite for idli and dosai. I try many versions of this podi. That's why i mentioned in the title as Version 1. Podi Idli is usually the common dish that south indian people pack for travelling purposes.

I have mentioned all the tips and tricks to make this. The ingredients are pretty standard , i personally adjusted as per my family's taste. So there is no specific source. This version is the standard recipe. My mom always uses black sesame seeds, since it is more flavorful and tasty compared to white sesame seeds. My athai (dad's sister) used to make it using white sesame seeds and i always loved the light color of the podi when i was young. When i started making these staples, i tried many versions and started liking both white and black. This recipe calls for white sesame seeds. 

This podi is a healthy one too.I prefer dry roasting it without using oil except for red chilies. This crunchy (due to coarsely ground), spicy (due to red chilies) and sweet (due to the addition of jaggery) version is a perfect dry condiment that pairs well with hot soft fluffy idlis. Please read the points to note and try this out. Give me your feedback and suggestions.

Points to Note:

1. Measurements for Channa dal, Urad dal and sesame seeds are to be followed exactly.

2. Dry red chillies can be adjusted according to your spice levels. Mine will be moderate as we are not too much spice lovers.

3. Salt - perfect measurement, not too salty and too low. Adjust based on your preference.

4. Jaggery - i used less, because my husband doesn't like the sweety taste. You can use brown sugar (naatu sakkarai) too. I used both.

Let's move on to the recipe.

Ingredients : (Makes around 2.5 cups)

Channa dal – ½ cup

Whole white Urad dal – 1 cup

Whole red chilies – 0.75 cup

White sesame seeds – ¼ cup

Hing Powder – ½ tsp

Jaggery – 1.25 tbsp (you can use brown sugar as well)

Salt – 0.5 tbsp

Oil – 1 to 2 tsp for frying red chili 

Ingredients before roasting

Please follow the same order to roast , channa dal --------> urad dal -------> sesame seeds -------> dry red chili. Dry roast everything separately and cool down separately. Please keep in mind that we are going to grind it separately for the first time.

    

In a heavy bottomed vessel, add channa dal. Dry roast it on medium low flame. Ensure they doesn't get burnt. Otherwise, the podi will have a different flavor.  

Check the image for the before roasting and after roasting picture. Remove from the pan, once the channa dal attains that color.

Repeat the same process for urad dal.

Now , i will mention why i used sesame seeds as the last but one. Sesame seeds has to crackle , and it crackles only in high heat. So, it needs a hot pan. Also, it gets burnt easily if left in the pan without noticed. So, keep stirring it so that it doesn't get burnt and also crackles. Look at the picture as to when it needs to be removed.

Finally, add a tsp or two of oil, add red chilies. Roast it for a couple of minutes. Turn off the flame.

Now comes the grinding part.

Please follow this order to grind, red chili --------> channa dal -------> urad dal --------> sesame seeds. Grind separately for the first time. Then, mix everything including salt, hing, jaggery. Grind again to a coarse powder. Coarsely ground powder will be tasty.

Allow the roasted ingredients to cool down completely and separately. 

Ingredients after roasting

Part 1 Grinding :

Grind the red chili first.

Red chilli first!

Then add channa dal to it and give a pulse. Don't grind it fully. Give a pulse or two. Transfer it a wide stainless steel or a glass bowl. Now add urad dal. Give a pulse or two. Transfer it to the same bowl. Add sesame seeds, salt, hing, jaggery. Give a pulse and transfer it to the same wide bowl. Now gently mix the ingredients. 

Part 1 Grinding

Part 2 Grinding :

Add the already ground mixture to the jar. Blend it coarsely. Don't grind it too coarse, just for a crunchy feel.If you are making a large quantity, add in batches, then transfer it to a single wide bowl and mix well. 

Part 2 Grinding

Allow it cool down completely before storing in an airtight container. 

Cool it down!

Serve it it with hot, soft and fluffy idlis.. Yum! :)

The shelf life of this is long if maintained properly.

Room Temperature : 1 month.

Freezer                    : 3 to 4 months.