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Idli milagai podi means comfort food in Tamilnadu. During school days, 50% of all the school lunch boxes were packed with sesame oil coated idlis drenched in different kinds of idli podi. It is the best lunch box friendly food our moms knew those days. Slightly crunchy and spicy, idli is the perfect vehicle for podi. My brother was a big time picky eater when he was young. He would never have chutney, sambar or anything wet on the side with idli or dosa. The only thing you can give him was idli podi and it holds true to this day. So our house had gallons of idli podi at all times of the year. This is a very easy recipe to do. Hope you like it. There are countless types of idli milagai podi one can make and this is the most popular one that’s made with roasted lentils.
The key to a good idli milagai podi is the crunch when you bite. You can achieve that texture only by slow roasting making sure that the lentils turn golden. Low heat is key. Here is how to do it.
Heat a pan and add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add quarter cup of chana dal (kadalai paruppu). Roast the chana dal in low flame until golden brown. Keep sauteing to avoid burning. Have patience and roast slow until the aroma comes and the dal turns color. Remove from the pan once the dal is golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
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In the same pan add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add half cup of whole white urad dal. Use unpolished urad dal. Roast the lentil until it smells nutty and the dal turns color. It should be really golden in colour. Always roast on low flame. That is the key. Remove from the pan once the dal is golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
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Place the pan back again on the stove and add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and half cup of white sesame seeds. Fry on low flame till golden. Keep sauteing and spread the seeds on the pan evenly so the seeds doesn’t burn. Sesame seeds burn fast. So roast on low flame until it starts to pop. Remove the seeds from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
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Dry roast red chillies on the same pan until you can smell them. Remove the chillies from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
Add in the cooled and roasted lentils, sesame seeds and red chillies to the mixie. Add in the salt, asafoetida (perungayam/hing) and jaggery.
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Grind the ingredients to the consistency you like. You can grind it fine, slightly coarse or to a coarse powder. I like the slight crunch of the podi that comes from the lentils. So I ground slightly to a coarse powder. Just ever so slightly coarse.
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You can store this idli milagai podi / idli molaga podi at room temperature for upto 15-20 days. If you are going to need it for a longer time, then store the podi in zip tote bags in the freezer. It stays fresh for upto 4-5 months in the freezer.
Mix the chutney powder either with sesame oil (nallennai) or ghee.
Serve with idli, dosa, paniyaram varieties.
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- 3 teaspoon vegetable oil
- ¼ cup split chana dal
- ½ cup whole white urad dal
- ½ cup white sesame seeds
- 10 dried red chillies
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon jaggery
- ¼ teaspoon asafoetida (hing)
- Heat a pan and add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add quarter cup of chana dal (kadalai paruppu). Roast the chana dal in low flame until golden brown. Set aside on a plate to cool.
- In the same pan add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and add half cup of whole white urad dal. Roast the lentil until it smells nutty and the dal turns color. Remove from the pan once the dal is golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
- Add in a teaspoon of vegetable oil and half cup of white sesame seeds. Fry on low flame till golden. Set aside on a plate to cool.
- Dry roast red chillies on the same pan until you can smell them. Remove the chillies from the pan and set aside on a plate to cool.
- Add in the cooled and roasted lentils, sesame seeds and red chillies to the mixie. Add in the salt, asafoetida (perungayam/hing) and jaggery.
- Grind the ingredients to the consistency you like. You can grind it fine, slightly coarse or to a coarse powder.
- Enjoy with idlis!
Serve with idli or dosa.
The post Idli podi – Idli milagai podi Recipe appeared first on Kannamma Cooks.