Idli Milagai Podi | Idli Podi Recipe
Idli milagai podi or idli podi is a popular side dish for idli and dosa made with lentils and dried red chilies!
Servings: 30
Calories: 30kcal
Equipment
- Mixer jar or coffee grinder
Ingredients
Measurement Details: 1 cup = 240ml; 1 tbsp = 15ml; 1 tsp = 5ml;
- 1 tbsp black sesame seeds
- 2 tsp oil divided
- ½ cup urad dal
- ½ cup chana dal
- 10 to 12 dried red chilies adjust to taste. I used the Guntur variety.
- ½ tsp asafoetida heaped tsp
- 2 tsp salt as required, a heaped tsp
Instructions
- Heat a pan or kadai and when it is hot, first roast the black sesame seeds. No need to add oil for roasting the sesame seeds. Roast until it begins to splutter/pop. At that stage, transfer it to a plate.
- Add ½ to 1 tsp of oil and roast the urad dal until it turns deep golden brown. Transfer it to a plate and set it aside.
- Add the remaining oil and roast the chana dal until it turns deep golden brown. You can add the asafoetida along with chana dal or urad dal. (PS - roast all the ingredients over medium-low heat)Transfer it to a plate and set it aside.
- Now add the dried red chilies and roast until they become crisp. As mentioned in the video, I missed adding asafoetida along with the lentils, so I added it while roasting the dried red chilies. If you are adding asafoetida with dried red chilies, after the red chilies turn crisp, add the asafoetida, let it cook in the residual heat for 30 to 40 seconds, and transfer it to a plate.
- Let all the ingredients cool. First, grind the dried red chilies until there aren't any big chunks. Add the roasted urad dal, chana dal, and black sesame seeds. Add 2 tsps of salt and grind it slightly coarsely. Taste the podi and check for salt, and if needed, add as required and pulse it again. Let the idli podi cool thoroughly before storing it in an air-tight container.
Video
Notes
- Always roast the lentils and chilies over medium-low heat. Do not roast it in high heat.
- Grind the roasted red chilies first, and then add the lentils so that the dried red chilies blend well with the lentils.
- Oil is optional, and you can roast the lentils without oil, too, and in that case, the idli milagai podi will be slightly pale.
- Grind the idli milagai podi coarsely or finely, depending on the texture preference. Instead of grinding the powder in one stretch, use the pulse mode, especially for a coarse consistency.
- You can use black or white sesame seeds. The color of the idli podi varies accordingly.
- We regularly add black sesame seeds and a minimal amount for enhanced flavor. But you can increase it to ¼ cup, too, and in that case, it will be ellu idli milagai podi/sesame-flavored idli podi. When adding more sesame seeds, add them after grinding all the lentils and grind them using pulse mode as sesame seeds tend to release oil.
- Adjust the salt and dried red chilies to taste. Use byadgi or Kashmiri red chili variety for a bright red color idli podi. Start with a minimal salt amount and adjust accordingly.
Nutrition
Calories: 30kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 50mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 143IU | Vitamin C: 22mg | Calcium: 12mg | Iron: 1mg