Andhra Style Peanut Chutney Powder | Palli Podi | Peanut Chutney podi

When it comes to Podi varieties, Andhra has various varieties of powders that can be mixed with rice and also can be served with Idli and dosa. Today I am posting a powder variety - Peanut Chutney Powder aka Palli Podi which is very famous in Rayalaseema region and especially Kadapa. This peanut powder is prepared in various ways across south India. North Karnataka has its own version of Peanut Podi known as Shenga Pudi which is usually served with Jowar rotis.Now directly to the recipe:

Check out other Podi varieties for rice in my blog:

• Bittergourd(Kakarakaya) Podi
• Flax Seeds Powder for Rice  
• Garlic Podi | Spicy Garlic Powder
• Kandi Podi | Andhra style Gun powder
• Karivepaku Podi | Curry leaves Powder 
• Kobbari Karam/Dry Coconut Podi
• Kothimeera Podi | Coriander Leaves Podi
• Pappula Podi | Putnala Podi | Spicy Fried Gram Powder
• Tamarind leaves Powder | Chintaku Podi   

Peanut Chutney Powder | Palli Podi Recipe:

Shelf life: 1 month | Author: Prathibha Garre

Prep time: 5 mins | Cooking time: 10 mins | Total time: 15 mins

Cuisine: Andhra | Category: Powder/Podi - Side dish for Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Groundnuts(Peanuts)

5-6 Red chilies

3-4 Garlic pods

3/4 tsp Cumin seeds, optional

Salt to taste

Method:

• Dry roast groundnuts on a low flame until their skin starts bursting and also get black blisters on them. Cool them and remove the skin of the peanuts by rubbing them in between your hands and separate the peanuts from the skin.

• In a small pan add cumin seeds and red chilies and fry them separately for half a minute and remove them and transfer them to a mixer.

• Grind the cumin seeds and red chilies to a coarse powder.

• Add roasted and peeled peanuts, garlic pods and salt and grind it to a coarse powder in the whipper mode. If you see some small bits and pieces of peanuts here and there, it is perfect.
• Store it in an sir tight container.

Serve it with hot steamed rice. You can even sprinkle it on idli, dosa, rotis, jowar rotis or on a bread toast, it tastes yumm!!

Notes:

1. The addition of cumin seeds is optional,few do not add it in Rayalaseema region. I add it sometimes to get a different flavor.
2. Some add coriander seeds while roasting the spices but I like the simpler version of palli podi.If you like you can add it.

Technorati Tags: peanut chutney podi, andhra style peanut powder, palli podi, rayalaseema palli podi, verusenagapappu podi, chenigginjala podi, shenga podi, groundnut podi, podi varieties for rice

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Pappula Podi | Putnalu Podi | Pappindi | Fried Gram Powder

'Pappula Podi' is a common accompaniment apart from 'Avakay','Gongura Pacchadi' and 'Kandi Podi' which you find in any Andhra meal in restaurants.It is mostly mistaken with 'Gun Powder aka Kandi Podi' as they both look similar,but the taste and texture for both the powders is quite different. We call it as 'Pappindi' at ur place and our version is slightly different from Andhra style Pappula Podi as the additon of dry coconut, sugar and cumin seeds makes it taste different and nice.You should not miss to add the cumin seeds at the end while grinding as it adds a nice flavor to the powder and also make sure that you do not grind it completely,you just need to run it once in whipper mode.Try this simple Pappindi and I am sure even you will love it.It is usually mixed with hot rice and a generous dollop of ghee,a combination which is definitely a heaven on plate.My most favorite way of using this podi is to mix with curd and eat with Chakli,it is infact a favorite comboat my place and we usually prepare this powder in more quantity if we have huge supply of chaklis at home during marriage season,You can even use it as a quick chutney with dosa, it tastes nice.

Check out other powder varieties for Rice in my blog:

• Bittergourd(Kakarakaya) Podi
• Flax Seeds Powder for Rice  
• Kandi Podi | Andhra style Gun powder
• Karivepaku Podi | Curry leaves Powder 
• Kobbari Karam/Dry Coconut Podi
• Kothimeera Podi | Coriander Leaves Podi
• Tamarind leaves Powder | Chintaku Podi   

Pappula Podi | Fried Gram Powder Recipe:shelf life:2-3 months

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:5 mins | Total time:15 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Accompaniments - Podis

Ingredients:
1 cup Fried gram
1/4 cup Dry Coconut pieces
7-8 Red Chillies
1 small amla sized Tamarind
4-5 Garlic pods
2 tsp Cumin Seeds
2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Mustard seeds
a Sprig of Curry leaves
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method:

• Grind dry coconut,red chillies,salt and sugar to a powder.

• Add tamarind and fried gram and grind again to a powder. 

• Add cumin seeds and garlic pods and grind again.
• Heat oil in a kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add curry leaves and add the ground powder and mix it once and switch off the flame.You should keep it on the flame just until you mix it,not for long.

• Cool it and store it in an air tight container.

Serve it with hot steamed Rice,Ghee and chopped Raw onions.You can even mix Avakay to this powder,it tastes yum.

Notes:

1. You can add more dry coconut if you wish,it adds more taste to podi.
2. The addition of sugar is optional but helps in balancing the flavors.
3. This tastes yum when you mix it with hot steamed rice,ghee with fryums and raw onion on the side.You can even mix it with avakai pickle and ghee it tastes nice.
4. You should not miss to add the cumin seeds at the end while grinding as it adds a nice flavor to the powder and also make sure that you do not grind it completely,you just need to run it once in whipper mode.
5. You can add a couple of garlic pods while running in the mixer in the last round for different flavor.

Technorati Tags: pappula podi, andhra pappula podi, pappindi recipe, fried gram powder, putnalu podi, putnalapappu podi, powder recipes for rice, podi recipes, powder varieties, accompaniments for rice, south indian podi recipes, andhra podi recipes

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Kothimeera Podi | Coriander Leaves Spicy Powder | Podi Recipes

A typical south Indian meal is incomplete without a Podi(spicy powder).We prepare various podi varieties,while few are paired with breakfast others with rice.Mom makes various podi varieties and she always packs a few varieties for me when I visit her.Her Kakarakaya(Bittergourd) podi is quite tasty and is the most favorite one at our home.

Coriander leaves podi is quite flavorful and delicious when mixed with hot steamed rice.Try this coriander podi when you have abundant coriander leaves,you will thank me for introducing this aromatic and flavorful coriander podi to you.

As I usually stock these podi varieties sometimes it is really helpful on those lazy days.I just prepare steamed rice and mix various podi varieties with hot rice and ghee along with fryums and papads- a satisfying meal for me.
Check out other Podi recipes for rice in my blog:

• Bittergourd(Kakarakaya) Podi
• Flax Seeds Powder for Rice  
• Kandi Podi | Andhra style Gun powder
• Karivepaku Podi | Curry leaves Powder 
• Kobbari Karam/Dry Coconut Podi
• Tamarind leaves Powder | Chintaku Podi 

Kothimeera Karam Podi Recipe:

shelf life:2-3 months

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:40 mins | Total time:50 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Accompaniments - Podis

Ingredients:

1 large bunch Coriander leaves

1 cup grated Dry Coconut

15-16 Red chillies

1 large gooseberry sized Tamarind

1 1/2 tbsp grated Jaggery,optional

2 tsp Mustard seeds

3-4 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Separate the coriander leaves from stems and wash the coriander leaves and wipe with a kitchen towel completely and spread in a thin layer and let them dry for few hours until no moisture is left. They would not get dried completely, they will just loose the moisture content slightly and look little dry.
• Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add red chillies and fry them until they turn brown and remove them and let them cool.
• Grind red chilies with grated dry coconut  and salt to a coarse powder. Add jaggery and tamarind and grind it again. Remove the mixture and keep it aside.
• Grind the coriander leaves(slightly dried) to a coarse powder in WHIPPER mode. Do not run it in normal mode as it might turn to a chutney.
• Heat 3 tbsp oil in a thick kadai/pan and crackle mustard seeds and add coarsely ground coriander leaves to it and fry until the coriander leaves are browned and become slightly crispy. They will turn to brown to slight blackish in color. This will take 15-20 mins.
• Add ground coconut- chili mixture to it and fry again for another 3-4 mins.
• Cool the powder completely. Store it in air tight container.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee and raw onion if you prefer.

 

Notes:

1. As we grind the dried coriander leaves first and then fry it in oil,the color of the coriander leaves is not preserved but it tastes delicious with wonderful flavor and also can be stored for long.
2. You can replace coriander leaves with curry leaves or mint leaves and follow the same recipe to prepare Karivepaku(Curry leaves) Podi and Pudina(Mint) Podi respectively.
3. You can add more dry coconut if you wish,it adds more taste to podi.
4. The addition of jaggery is optional but helps in balancing the flavors.
   
   

Technorati Tags: podi recipes, podi varieties for rice, coriander recipes, kothimeera podi, kotimeera karam podi, andhra podi varieties andhra recipes

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How to make Roasted Cumin Powder | Homemade Jeera Powder

When it comes to basic spices and pastes used for cooking, I never purchase them. I usually prepare the basic spice powders like cumin powder, coriander powder, Garam masala etc and various south Indian masala powders at home. I have not still ventured into the preparation of various masalas like Pav bhaji masala, Chole masala, Kitchen king masala etc at home as I am a bit lazy in preparing them. But I will definitely try recreating the same masalas at home one day and would love to post them in my blog.

I always wonder why some one would buy these basic powders like cumin powder and coriander powder while the preparation of the same is very simple and easy and does not take much time. More over the freshness, fragrance of these home made powders is not at all comparable to the store bought powders. Roasted Cumin powder is a very important basic spice in Indian kitchen as it plays an important role in day to day curries and gravies and also plays a key role in Indian Chaats.

This is a simple recipe which I am posting for Beginners. It doesn't need much effort to prepare this Cumin powder at home and it will definitely enhance the taste of your food.

If you are interested check out the preparation of other spice powders at home:

• Bisibelebath Masala
• Garam Masala Powder - Punjabi Style
• Garlic Chili powder | Velluli Karam | Goddu Karam
• Kurala Podi/Multi purpose Curry Powder
• Maharastrian Ghati Masala
• Rasam Powder - Andhra style
• Sambar Powder - Andhra style
• Sambar powder- Karnataka style
• Vangibath Masala Powder 

Homemade Roasted Cumin powder:

Shelf life:1-2 months

Grinding time:2 mins | Roasting time:5 mins | Total time:7 mins + cooling time

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Spices - Kitchen Basics

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Cumin seeds(Jeera)

Method:

• Clean the cumin seeds and dry roast in a pan over medium flame until you get a nice aroma and they start turning nice brown in color by stirring it occasionally. Take care that you do not turn them black otherwise it will give bitter taste to powder. They will also start popping once they turn the brown color. Switch off and let it cool.
• Grind it into a powder in mixer or spice grinder. I do not grind it to a very fine powder, I keep it slightly coarse as it adds a nice taste to chaats or any other curries. If you want you can grind it to a fine powder or keep few bits of cumin seeds here and there.
• Allow the powder to cool for sometime and store it an air tight glass container.

Use it in Chaats, Gravies and Curries as mentioned in the recipe.

Notes:

• Use a clean and dry spoon always or keep a spoon in the container itself.
• Do not turn the cumin seeds black otherwise it will give bitter taste to powder.
• I always prepare in small quantities so that the freshness of the spice would not be lost.
• This much quantity would easily be sufficient for a month for me. But it depends on the family size and usage as well.

Technorati Tags: roasted cumin poder, jeera powder, how to make jeera powder, kitchen basics, Indian kichen essentials

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Idli Milagai Podi | Idli Podi Recipe | Homemade Chutney Powder

Apart from Chutneys and Sambar,Idli podi makes a nice accompaniment for south Indian breakfast items like Idli and Dosa.In general Idli podi or Karapodi is to be mixed with a liberal quantity of ghee which makes it more tasty to relish with idli. I have already posted the famous Andhra Nalla karam podi and also Tamilnadu style Milagai podi using Whole black gram. Today's version is almost like Milagai podi(with black gram) and uses white urad instead of the whole black variety.

Check out various Chutney Pudis for Idli/Dosa:

• Flax Seeds Podi
• Idly Podi/Milagai Podi
• Idly Podi with Whole Black lentils/Nalla minumula Idli podi
• Idly Karapodi..Andhra Style
• Kobbari Karam/Dry Coconut Podi
• Nalla Karapodi | Andhra Nalla Karam- for Idli/Dosa

Idly Podi / Milagai Podi:

shelf life:2-3 months

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Urad dal

1/2 cup Chana dal

10 Guntur Red chillies

2 tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 tsp Asafoetida (Hing), use the rock variety
Salt to taste

1 tsp Oil

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai and add urad dal and chana dal and fry them separately until they turn golden brown and keep them aside and let them cool.
• In the same pan add red chillies  and asafoetida and fry them until they turn crisp.Remove them and keep them aside.
• Now add sesame seeds and roast them until they pop up and remove it and keep aside.
• Grind all the above ingredients with enough salt to a coarse powder.
• Spread the mixture on a plate and once it is cooled pour into the air tight container and store it for a couple of months. 

Serve it with Idli /Dosa. Mix the powder with a liberal quantity of ghee or sesame oil while serving.

Notes:

1. You can replace plain urad dal with the whole black urad for a healthier version.
2. You can add 2-3 garlic pods in the last round of grinding the powder.It adds a nice flavor,however it is optional.
3. Addition of a fat pinch of hing also enhances the flavor of this podi,so do not miss it.
4. You can also add some byadige red chillies for a deeper red color powder.

Technorati Tags: idli milagai podi, how to make idli podi, milagai podi recipe, idli podi recipe, spicy idli chili powder recipe,side dish for idli and dosa, south indian



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Karivepaku Podi | Curry Leaves Powder for Rice

A typical south Indian meal is incomplete without a Podi(spicy powder).We prepare various podi varieties,while few are paired with breakfast others with rice.Mom makes various podi varieties and she always packs a few varieties for me when I visit her.Her Kakarakaya(Bittergourd) podi is quite tasty and is the most favorite one at our home.

As I usually stock these podi varieties sometimes it is really helpful on those lazy days.I just prepare steamed rice and mix various podi varieties with hot rice and ghee along with fryums and papads- a satisfying meal for me.

My mom prepares this Curry leaves powder in a different way and we use dry coconut as the base while in Andhra and Tamilnadu they use lentils like chana dal and urad dal to prepare it.This version with dry coconut is quite different and tastes really delicious- give it a try. Please go through the recipe and notes carefully before proceeding to prepare,I assure you that you will love it.

Karivepaku Podi Recipe:

shelf life:2-3 months

Prep time:10 mins | Cooking time:40 mins | Total time:50 mins

Cuisine: South Indian | Category: Accompaniments - Podis

Ingredients:

3 Cups Curry leaves

1/2 cup grated Dry Coconut

8-10 Red chillies

1 small gooseberry sized Tamarind

2 tsp grated Jaggery(optional)

2 tsp Mustard seeds

2-3 tbsp Oil

Salt to taste

Method:

• Wash the curry leaves and wipe them with a kitchen towel completely and spread in a thin layer and let them dry for few hours until no moisture is left. They would not get dried completely, they will just loose the moisture content slightly.
• Heat 1 tsp oil and add red chillies and fry them until they turn brown and remove them and let them cool.
• Grind red chilies with grated dry coconut  and salt to a coarse powder. Add jaggery and tamarind and grind it again. Remove the mixture and keep it aside.
• Grind the curry leaves(slightly dried) to a coarse powder in WHIPPER mode. Do not run it in normal mode as it might turn to a chutney.
• Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a thick kadai and crackle mustard seeds and add coarsely ground curry leaves to it and fry until the curry leaves are browned and become slightly crispy. They will turn to brown to slight blackish in color. This will take 15-20 mins.
• Add ground coconut- chili mixture to it and fry again for another 3-4 mins.
• Cool the powder completely. Store it in air tight container.

Serve it with hot rice and ghee and raw onion if you prefer.

 

Notes:

1. My mom usually grinds the slightly dried curry leaves first and then fry it in oil. Hence the color of the curry leaves is not preserved but it tastes delicious with wonderful flavor and also can be stored for long.
2. If you want you can even fry the curry leaves in oil and then powder it along with the red chili - coconut mixture.
3. In Andhra,instead of coconut they use chana dal and urad dal to make this podi. Instead of  dry coconut you can use 4 tbsp of chana dal,2 tbsp urad dal and 1 tsp cumin seeds fry them in oil and grind with roasted red chillies,curry leaves,salt and tamarind to a powder. Check out a verison of Karivepaku Karam podi here which is prepared for tiffin varieties.

Check out few podi varieties which goes well with rice:

• Bittergourd(Kakarakaya) Podi
• Flax Seeds Powder for Rice 
• Kandi Podi | Andhra style Gun powder
• Kobbari Karam/Dry Coconut Podi
• Tamarind leaves Powder | Chintaku Podi 

Technorati Tags: karivepaku podi, how to make curry leaves powder, curry leaves podi for rice, karuvepillai podi, karibevu pudi recipe, curry leaves recipes, podi varieties for rice

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Vangibath Powder Recipe | Vangi Bhath Masala Recipe

I always stock up home made masalas and powders like Sambar Powder, Rasam Powder, Vangibath Powder and few podi varieties for rice.Its a breeze to prepare a south Indian meal if we have these kind of powders and masalas handy.

Vangibath is a famous Karnataka rice dish which is prepared with brinjals.The addition of vangibath masala powder makes the rice extra delicious and also gets an unique flavor when combined with brinjals.This vangibath masala powder is quite versatile and you can even use it prepare various bhath varieties and to spice up various south Indian stir fries and curries,see notes for more details.

Check out few recipes in my blog which are prepared using Vangibath powder.

• Vangibath | Brinjal Rice - Karnataka style
• Methi Peas Bath
• Rava Vangibath
• Beetroot Spicy Curry

Vangibath Powder | Vangi Bhath Masala Recipe:

Shelf life: 1-2 months

Prep time:20 mins | Total time:20 mins + cooling time

Cuisine:South Indian | Catgeory:Spices|Masalas - Basic Cooking

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Chana dal

1/2 cup Urad dal

1 big lemon sized Tamarind

1 heaped cup grated Dry Coconut

12-15 Byadige Red chillies(gives nice red color)

12-15 Guntur Red Chillies

1/4 cup Coriander seeds

2" Cinnamon,2 pieces

8-10 Cloves

7-8 Marathi Moggu

3-4 Star Anise

Salt

2 tsp Oil 

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai and fry chana dal and urad dal until they turn red in color.Remove them and keep aside.
• Add red chillies(both the varieties) and fry them and keep them aside.
• Add cloves, marathi moggu , cinnamon, star anise and fry them and keep them aside.
• Just warm the coriander seeds and grated dry coconut for few minutes in the same pan.
• Grind all the roasted ingredients with salt and tamarind to a coarse powder.
• This can be stored in a air-tight container for about 2-3 months.I generally keep it in fridge and take out enough quantity when required.

Use it in the recipe as required.

Notes:

1. As we use dry coconut in the recipe,it would not stay for long.Hence I suggest you to refrigerate some portion and just keep the required portion in an air tight container outside.
2. You can even avoid tamarind in the recipe and instead add lemon juice while making Vangibath.
3. You can use Vangibath powder for the preparation of rice varieties like Vangibath, Vegetable Bhath, Methi Peas Bath and also in Rava Vangibath.
4. Vangibath powder is quite versatile and it can be used to spice up various south indian stir fries and curries like brinjal, tindora and ladies finger curries.Stir fry brinjals/tindora and sprinkle this spice powder at the end and add extra salt required.
5. You can even use for vegetable curries like french beans, broad beans, cluster beans, yard long beans , carrots, beetroot, cabbage and cauliflower.

Technorati Tags: vangibath powder,vangibhat masala powder,how to make vangibath powder,karnatak style vangibath powder,wangibath masala

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Sambar Powder Recipe - Karnataka style

I have already posted a version of Sambar powder which is my MIL's version and is typical Andhra style and today I am posting my mom's version.My mom prepares the sambar powder in a huge quantity and she gets it powdered in a mill and this easily lasts for an year and she even gives me from her supply.This sambar powder is very flavorful and we use the same for sambar as well as few rasam varieties like Bele Saaru , Holige Saaru,Tomato Rasam etc.This version of Sambar powder is quite different from my earlier recipe Andhra style Sambar powder and this is a typical Karnataka style preparation.You need to follow the exact measurements and hence I suggest you to buy the ingredients fresh with the exact measurements.It is laborious process but its worth the effort and makes it convenient for you for a long time.

Sambar Powder Recipe:

shelf life : 1 year

Ingredients:

1 kg Coriander seeds

1/2 kg Byadige Red chillies(for color)

1/2 kg Guntur Red chillies(spicier variety)

150 gms Cumin seeds

150 gms Peppercorns

100 gms Fenugreek seeds

50 gms Mustard seeds

50 gms Turmeric sticks

1 packet(50 gms) Asafoetida(good quality rock variety,LG or similar)

1 cup Curry leaves

1 tsp Oil,to roast

Method:

• In a kadai/pan dry roast each variety - cumin seeds,pepper corns,fenugreek seeds,mustard seeds separately until they pop up and get roasted and keep them separately.
• Dry curry leaves nicely and dry roast until they are crisp and no moisture is seen.
• Dry the turmeric sticks in sun nicely and keep them ready.
• Heat 1/2 tsp oil in the pan and add coriander seeds and fry them until they turn slight brown in color and remove them and keep aside.
• Heat 1/2 tsp oil in the same pan and add both the varieties of red chillies and fry them until they turn red and remove them and keep aside.
• Break the asafoetida into small pieces and keep them aside.
• Let all the ingredients come to room temperature.
• Mix all the ingredients and get them ground in a flour mill or grind the ingredients in a mixer in small batches to a fine powder.
• Sieve the powder if necessary.Spread it on a wide deep bottomed vessel and dry it in shade for a day.
• Store the sambar powder in an air tight container or in small pouches in refrigerator.

Use it in the recipe as required.

Notes:

1. Because of the humidity in Mumbai I usually keep the big pack of Sambar powder in a ziplock bag in fridge and take out small portion in to an air tight container and use it on daily basis.This way it stays fresh and also not get spoilt.
2. Use the measurements correctly to get aromatic Sambar powder.
3. The addition of Byadige chillies gives the nice red color to the sambar,so do not miss using them.
4. You can grind 1/3 cup of grated coconut with a large tomato and 2 tbsp of sambar powder and add to any vegetable sambar,it tastes delicious and gives the typical Karnataka style sambar.
5. You can use this sambar powder in various vegetable curries/stir fries and also to make spicy chapatis like theplas,onion chapati etc.
6. If you do not get turmeric sticks use same quantity of turmeric powder in the recipe.
7. You can easily make half quantity by reducing the ingredients to half.
8. Use good quality rock form of strong Asafoetida for an aromatic sambar powder.

Check out few Sambar varieties in my blog:

1. Gummadikaya(Red Pumpkin) Sambar
2. Mullangi(Radish) Sambar-with freshly made masala

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Rasam Powder Recipe | Andhra Style Rasam Powder

I have posted  Andhra style Sambar Powder recipe recently and today I am posting Andhra style Rasam powder recipe which I got from my MIL.The addition of liberal quantity of cumin seeds, pepper corns and coriander seeds makes the rasam flavorful and spicy.A small quantity of toor dal is added to the powder which helps in thickening the rasam.It is a very simple and basic recipe which might help many who are new to kitchen.

Andhra Style Rasam Powder Recipe:

(stores upto a month)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Coriander seeds

1/3 cup Toor dal(split Pigeon peas)

2 tbsp Cumin seeds

3 tbsp black Peppercorns

Method:

• In a thick kadai dry roast coriander seeds until they turn slight brown in color and keep them aside.
• In the same kadai dry roast toor dal until red in color and keep them aside.
• Add cumin seeds and peppercorns and fry them separately and keep them aside.
• Once they cool down grind them to a fine powder.
• Store it in an air tight container.

Add a couple of tsps of rasam powder while making rasam.

Notes:

• You can dry roast and add 10-12 red chillies while making the rasam powder.

You can use this Rasam powder in the following rasams:

• Tomato Dal rasam
• Tomato Rasam
• Pepper Rasam
• Drumstick Rasam
• Cumin rasam,etc.

 

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Garam Masala Powder | Punjabi Garam Masala Recipe

I like to try out new varieties of masalas ranging from regional kind of masalas to the regular standard masalas.Though I do  buy some kind of readymade masalas , I never think of buying some kinds such as Sambar Powder, Rasam Powder, Garam masala, Coriander powder, Cumin powder as I like to make them fresh at home.

Every house hold has their own recipe for Garam masala,though most of the ingredients are the same there might be a change in the mix of each ingredient used or maybe some variation in the kind of ingredients. After marriage, I have been following my MIL's recipe for Garam masala which I love because of its flavor. As I prefer to add coriander powder and cumin powder separately to any dish I usually do not add them to my Garam masala powder.This home made Garam masala is quite strong and hence I add just a pinch or 1/4 tsp of masala to the dishes I prepare. This recipe yields masala that lasts for over two months for me.

You can check out other masala powders in my blog.

• Bisibelebath Masala
• Garlic Chili powder | Velluli Karam | Goddu Karam
• Kurala Podi/Multi purpose Curry Powder
• Maharastrian Ghati Masala
• Vangibath Masala Powder

Punjabi Garam Masala Powder Recipe:

shelf life: 1-2 months

Ingredients:

5-6 3" long Cinnamon pieces

2 tbsp Cloves

6-8 Black Cardamom(Mota Elaichi)

20-25 Green Cardamom(Chota Elaichi)

2 tbsp Black Pepper Corns

3-4 Star Anise,optional

3-4 Mace(Javithri )

10-12 Bay leaves

2 tbsp Caraway seeds(Shahjeera)

1/2 Nutmeg(Jaiphal)

1/2" Dry Ginger(Sonth)

Method:

• Clean and dry all the spices in the sun for 2-3 hrs.Alternatively you can dry roast them for few minutes,but take care that you would not dry roast them for long.I usually prefer to keep them in sun instead of dry roasting the spices.
• You can either grate nutmeg and dry ginger or break them into tiny pieces using a pestle.
• Grind all the ingredients to a powder.You do not need to grind it to a very fine powder,you can keep it slightly coarse.

Store it in air tight container.Use it any North Indian style gravy, Dals, Curries, Stir fries, Snacks, Pulaos, Biriyanis etc.

 Notes:

1. I usually do not add coriander seeds and cumin seeds to my garam masala as I add the powders separately to any dish.In case you want to add them, you can add around 1/2 cup Coriander seeds and 1/4 cup Cumin Seeds and grind with the rest of the ingredients to a powder.
2. As the home made Garam masala is quite pure and strong I usually add a pinch(or 1/4 tsp) to any dish which itself is enough for the flavor.You can add the masala quantity according to your personal taste,but do remember that this masala is quite strong.

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Kandi Podi | Andhra style Gun Powder Recipe

The first thing you would notice if you go to any Andhra restaurant for a thali is an array of pickle jars and various powders which are placed on every table.While few varieties might vary,the most common varieties would be Andhra Avakaya and Kandi Podi(which is fondly called as Andhra Gun powder).

Andhrites start their lunch with a powder, mostly Kandi podi which is Andhra's trademark recipe.It is usually mixed with hot rice and a generous dollop of ghee, a combination which is definitely a heaven on a plate.You can even mix Avakaya with the powder and ghee,even that tastes absolutely delicious.Many of my friends(including those who are not from Andhra) have tasted this powder/podi and have always raved about its taste. One must try this trademark Andhra Gun powder recipe for sure to understand what I am saying.

Kandi Podi | Andhra famous Gun Powder Recipe:

shelf life:stays fresh up to a month

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Toor dal

1/2 cup Moong dal

1/2 cup Chana dal

10-12 Red chillies

1 tsp Cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Method:

• Dry roast toor dal until it turns red in color and keep it aside and dry roast moong dal until red in color and remove it from pan and keep it aside and do the same with chana dal.Always dry roast each dal separately as they will not get roasted uniformly otherwise.Let them cool.
• Dry roast red chillies until they turn slight red in color and keep them aside.
• Dry roast cumin seeds and keep them aside.
• Once all the dals come to room temperature grind all the dals with red chillies,cumin seeds and salt to a powder.You can either grind it to a fine powder or slightly coarse powder.
• Store it in an air tight container.

Serve it with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.You can serve chopped raw onions along with it,it tastes delicious.

Notes:

• Add 1-2 garlic pods after the dals are ground to a powder and grind it again to a powder.
• Do not grind it to a very fine powder,keep it slightly coarse.
• You can mix the kandi podi with Mango Avakaya,Usiri Avakaya,Gongura etc or just mix it with hot rice and a dollop of ghee.It tastes very delicious.

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