Curry leaves and flax seeds idli podi

Course Condiments

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 30

Servings Cups

Calories 56kcal

Author Chhavi

Equipment

Heavy bottomed pan

Ingredients

3 Cups Curry leaves fresh, washed and dried
½ Cup Flax seeds
¼ Cup Peanuts
¼ Cup Channa Dal
¼ Cup Urad Dal
5-6 Garlic cloves

Spices

½ teaspoon Asafetida
8-10 Red chillies
1 ball Tamarind marble sized, dry tamarind or use dry green mango(amchur)
1 Tablespoon Jaggery
Salt

Instructions

Wash and dry the curry leaves with paper towel. The drier the leaves, the faster the roasting process.
Dry roast them on a heavy bottomed pan for 10-15 minutes, on low heat, moving them around often.
Dry roast other ingredients- peanuts, red chilies, sesame seeds and flax seeds ,dals, tamarind and garlic. The dals should turn fragarant and nutty. The peanuts should be crunchy inside.
The garlic should be slow roasted from all sides.
Let everything cool down.
Add salt, asafetida and sugar(jaggery). These do not need to be roasted.
Add the tamarind, chilies and peanuts to the blender first. Blend finely and then add rest of the ingredients.Blend till they are a powder.
Taste and adjust the salt. The podi's spice level will reduce with time.

Notes

Pro tip: Roast each ingredient separately on low heat. They all have different cooking times—flax seeds pop quickly, while curry leaves need gentle crisping to avoid bitterness.

Why Roast

Roasting coaxes out the nutty, earthy flavors from dals, flax seeds, and spices. It gives the podi that irresistible toasted aroma you smell before you taste.
Roasting reduces the water content and increases the shelf life of this spice mix. Fresh ingredients like curry leaves and garlic should be roasted low and slow will they are well done.
Roasted ingredients grind more evenly and create a better mouthfeel—no gritty bits here!
Especially for ingredients like flax seeds and curry leaves, light roasting makes them easier to digest and absorb

Nutrition