Idli podi / Gun powder is an inevitable side dish in my house. Though I make varieties of chutney and sambar recipes for idli, dosa we have the habit of eating at least one last idli with idli podi. So I always keep idli powder also known as chutney powder in stock. And I love to try varieties of idli podi recipes. Its been a long time I used flax seeds in my cooking.
Flax seeds (Linum usitatissimum) also known as common flax or linseeds (Aali vithai in Tamil,
Alsi ke Beej in Hindi,
Agase bījagaḷu in Kannada, caṇa vittukaḷ in Malayalam, Avise gin̄jalu in Telugu ) are small oil seeds that originated in the Middle East thousands of years ago. Lately, they have gained popularity as a health food. This is due to their high content of heart-healthy omega-3 fats, fiber, and other unique plant compounds. Flax seeds have health benefits such as improved digestion and a reduced risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. They can be easily incorporated into your diet. Roasting and grinding them is the best way to make the most of their health benefits. (source : https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/flaxseeds).
Earlier I used to add roasted flax seeds powder in my poriyal and kootu. This time, I wanted to include it in the form of idli podi.
This Flax seeds idli podi is a healthy chutney powder recipe prepared with urad dal, chana dal, flax seeds and curry leaves. Garlic flavored idli podi is our family’s favorite. So I have added some garlic cloves in this flax seeds podi. You can skip if you don’t like it.
Friends, do try this healthy flax seeds idli podi recipe / flax seeds chutney powder for idli, dosa. You will love it. Check out the video too !
Red chilli – 12 to 15 (6 spicy chilli, 6 byadge or Kashmiri chilli)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafetida / Hing – 1/4 tsp
Garlic cloves with skin - 10
Salt - as needed
Cooking oil – 2 tsp
HOW TO MAKE FLAX SEEDS IDLI PODI
Heat a kadai and dry roast flax seeds till it starts to pop.
Remove in a plate. Add 1 tsp cooking oil in the kadai.
Roast chana dal and urad dal. Roast till golden in low to medium flame.
Remove in a plate. Heat 1 tsp oil. Add red chilli, curry leaves, hing and roast till crispy.
Add salt and switch off the flame. Let everything cool down.
Firstly grind the red chilli to a coarse powder.
Now add the roasted dals, flax seeds and grind to powder.
Lastly add the garlic cloves. Grind to a fine powder.
Remove in a bowl. Cool down and store in a box.
Enjoy with idli, dosa adding sesame oil.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Heat a kadai and dry roast the flax seeds till it starts to pop. Do in low to medium flame without burning them. Transfer to a plate.
In the same kadai, add 1 tsp of cooking oil. Add chana dal, urad dal and keep roasting them till both the dals turn golden in color. Do it patiently in low to medium flame. It takes 5 to 7 minutes.
Transfer to the flax seeds plate. Now add 1 tsp of oil and add the red chillies, hing and curry leaves. Roast it till crispy without browning the chillies. Roast in low to medium flame patiently. Lastly add salt.
Switch off the flame and let it be in the kadai for some time. It helps to make the chillies more crispy.
Firstly grind the red chillies (use Byadge or Kashmiri chilli for bright color), curry leaves coarsely. Then add the roasted dal, flax seeds together to a powder. Lastly add garlic cloves with skin. Grind to a smooth powder by mixing the powder from the bottom. Don’t worry, garlic will be ground well.
Now transfer the idli podi to a bowl. Let it cool down. Then store in an air tight box. Use up to 2 weeks to 1 month. Enjoy with idli dosa drizzling with sesame oil.
Note
For variations, you can skip garlic cloves and add asafetida alone.
You can also add 2 tbsp of dry roasted sesame seeds and add it while grinding. It adds a nice flavor.
Grinding red chillies firstly gives a nice, bright color to idli podi.
For healthy variations, you can add roasted horsegram too.
You can also add 2 tsp of roasted coriander seeds for variations.
Healthy and tasty flax seeds idli podi is ready to enjoy with idli dosa !
My daughter Raksha is an ardent fan of Karnataka hotel style idli sambar. She loves the sweet and spicy taste of this sambar which is very unique across South Indian sambar recipes. Whenever I visit Jayanagar or old Bangalore, a parcel of Mysore masala dosa with chutney and sambar ( I request the parcel section to pack some extra sambar for me 😀) is a must for Raksha. Usually I buy from Krishna bhavan, Ganesh Bhavan, SLV and Upahara Darshini. Raksha always tells me to make this at home to pair with idli rava idli.
I have tried so many versions of Bangalore hotel idli sambar at home. But nothing came up to my expectation. Recently I tried a Karnataka hotel style idli sambar recipe from Rekha aduge and Anvika Youtube channel. I prepared a idli sambar powder as suggested and tried this sambar. It was so close to the restaurant ones. Raksha gave a big thumbs up and told me to follow this recipe every time.
Before posting the hotel style idli sambar recipe, I wanted to share this sambar powder recipe which plays a vital role in sambar preparation. Its definitely different from our usual sambar powder in certain ingredients. Cinnamon and dry coconut are the secret ingredients here. You can always use fresh coconut and roast it instead of dried coconut / kobbari but do not skip cinnamon. I also used a clove/ lavang to give more flavor which is optional in the original recipe.
Friends, do try this Karnataka idli sambar powder. I feel making this sambar powder is the only time consuming work in sambar preparation. If you make it once, you can store this powder and prepare sambar for 2 to 3 times. Lets see how to make Karnataka style idli sambar powder recipe with step by step pictures.
Roast everything together in low to medium flame for few minutes till you get nice roasted smell. Do not burn any.
Switch off the flame and let it cool down completely. Grind them to a smooth powder and store in an air tight box. It stays good for 2 weeks. You can make sambar twice or thrice with this quantity.
Note
You can use more chilli based on the taste. Use up to 15.
Use byadgi chilli or Kashmiri chilli for bright color.
Cloves is optional.
Easy, Karnataka hotel style idli sambar powder is ready !
After a long time I tried an Instant, ready to eat breakfast mix at home. Yes, its ven pongal mix recipe which was bookmarked long back from Radha mam’s space. Just like my instant premix recipes like rava upma mix and aval upma mix, it came out very well in my first attempt. These Indian style travel friendly premix recipes are so useful and handy for working women and bachelors to whip up a quick breakfast or dinner. In fact I loved this ven pongal made using pongal mix more than my regular pongal recipe. It was so soft and flavorful, reminded some restaurant taste to me. Actually I made it two weeks before but blogging this recipe now as I wanted to check its shelf life. It stays great till today even without refrigeration. This instant pongal mix recipe would be ideal for bachelors, working women and for people who travel abroad or for a tour. I made it using raw rice/ pacharisi. You can use boiled rice/ steamed rice/ Puzhungal arisi too. Friends, do try this yummy homemade instant ven pongal mix. Cook it under 15 minutes and enjoy with any chutney or sambar ! For variations, you can coarsely grind the rice and dal and make this pongal mix for quick cooking. Soon I will try to share Karnataka style Khara pongal mix just like MTR pongal mix.
Ven Pongal mix - Homemade Pongal mix recipe
Tamil nadu style ven pongal recipe mix with raw rice, moong dal, pepper and cumin seeds.
Heat oil + ghee in a kadai. Splutter pepper corns.
Saute cumin seeds, ginger, cashew nuts, curry leaves and hing.
Remove in a plate.
Add some ghee. Roast moong dal and rice in low flame for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add salt, mix well. Switch off the flame and let it cool down.
Add the roasted cumin + pepper to the rice mixture.
Store in a box after mixture cools down. Stays good for 2 to 3 weeks without refrigeration.
PONGAL MIX RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Take the rice and dal, clean it by removing the dust. If you wish, you can wash the rice + dal, spread in a cloth and dry it.
Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil + 1 tbsp ghee in a kadai. Add pepper corns and roast in medium flame. When it starts to splutter, add cumin seeds, ginger bits, curry leaves and cashew nuts. Saute in low flame without burning any. Roast ginger pieces without any moisture. Remove everything in a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp ghee in the kadai. Add moong dal and rice. Roast in medium flame for 5 to 7 minutes. Add required salt. Switch off the flame.
Add the roasted cumin + pepper to rice, dal mixture. Mix well. Store in a box after the mix cools down completely.
It stays good for 2 to 3 weeks without refrigeration. You can also freeze it if you like.
To make ven pongal using pongal mix, take 1 cup of pongal mix in a pressure cooker base. Add 4 to 4.5 cups of water. Add 1 tbsp ghee. Mix well and pressure cook in very low flame for one whistle. Remove the lid after steam is released. Mix well and serve hot with coconut chutney or sambar.
Enjoy !
Note
For variations, you can use steamed rice / boiled rice instead of raw rice.
You can also powder pepper + cumin seeds instead of whole ones.
Try this instant ven pongal mix at home. Make pongal under 15 minutes and enjoy !
I got this Tamil brahmin style sambar powder recipe from my neighbor friend Subha’s MIL. She is from Trichy. When I was telling Subha about my interest in Tamil brahmin recipes (Tambrahm style), she introduced her MIL who is an expert cook. I learnt few basic Tamil Iyer style recipes like sambar, rasam, more kuzhambu, vatha kuzhambu, puli sadam, pachadi and wrote down all of them in my notebook. At that time she shared her traditional, homemade sambar powder recipe and gave me a box full of it. I also prepared sambar using this sambar powder by adding mixed vegetables. It was so good and flavorful. Soon I will post the brahmin style sambar recipe here. Now I have given the ingredients for sambar powder in bulk quantity. You can sun dry them or dry roast in a kadai. Grind in a flour mill and store it for months. Soon I will try to ask her for smaller portion and update this post. Ok lets see how to make Tamil brahmin style sambar powder recipe.\
Take all the ingredients mentioned for sambar powder.
Spread in a wide plate and dry them under the sun for 3 to 4 hours.
Instead you can dry roast all the ingredients one by one for few minutes without burning them.
Let it cool. Grind in a rice flour mill to a smooth powder.
After grinding spread the sambar powder in a clean sheet. Let it cool down.
Then transfer to an air tight box.
Take the quantity required for 15 days and store in a box separately.
Use clean spoon to handle and store for months. Enjoy !
TAMIL BRAHMIN SAMBAR POWDER - METHOD
Measure and take all the ingredients given above in a wide plate. Sun dry them for 3 to 4 hours.
Instead of drying under the sun, you can dry roast all the ingredients one by one in a kadai just to heat them slightly. Do not burn any ingredient. It is done to remove the moisture content.
Transfer to a plate and let it cool down. Grind in a rice flour mill to a smooth powder.
Spread the sambar powder in a clean sheet and let it cool down. Then transfer to a big air tight container. Take the quantity required for 10 to 15 days and store in another small box.
Use a clean spoon to handle this powder. It stays good for months. Mami told they keep this powder up to 3 to 4 months.
For making sambar, you can use 1 to 2 tsp depending on the need. Soon I will post a detailed post about it.
Enjoy !
Note
You should either sun dry the ingredients or dry roast in a kadai without burning the ingredients.
Its always better to store the sambar powder in two containers. Bulk quantity in one and smaller portion of it in another container. This helps to retain the flavor of sambar powder for long time.
Try this Tamil brahmin sambar powder recipe and use it for months !
Idli milagai podi / Idli podi (Gun powder in English) is a must & should side dish for idli, dosa in every South Indian’s house. No matter about the varieties of chutney and sambar, we love to have at least one idli or dosa mixed with idli podi to finish our breakfast/dinner.
Most of the time we manage to eat instant dosa varieties and idli varieties only with this idli podi as side dish. Even though we prefer homemade idli podi, sometimes I love to buy Sakthi or Aachi idli milagai podi just to enjoy its smooth texture because we grind it slightly coarse.
Today I have come up with my MIL’s style simple idli podi recipe ( We call it as Ulutham paruppu molaapdi in Tamil) with 4 basic ingredients. Urad dal, chana dal, red chilli, hing and salt forms the base for this recipe. However you can make N number of variations in this podi recipe by adding garlic, sesame seeds, dhania (Coriander seeds), Jaggery, black urad dal, rice, tamarind, coconut and even horse gram and flax seeds.
Remember the color of idli podi varies as per the red chillies and the way you roast it. Long back, I have already shared my mom’s most popular idli milagai podi with garlic. Soon I will try to share the remaining podi recipes with yummy variations.
Now lets see how to make this simple idli milagai podi recipe at home with easily available ingredients with step by step pictures.
Simple Idli Podi Recipe - Idli Milagai Podi
How to make Idli milagai podi recipe for idli, dosa
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Roast chana dal and urad dal in medium flame till golden.
Remove in a plate. Add hing to it.
Heat 1tsp oil in the same pan and roast the chillies till crispy and golden brown.
Add the roasted chillies to the dal. Cool down. Add salt and grind everything to a fine or slightly coarse powder as you like.
Store in an airtight box and enjoy with idli, dosa drizzled with gingely oil.
METHOD - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Heat 1 tsp of oil in a kadai. Roast chana dal & urad dal patiently in medium flame till golden brown. Remove in a plate. Add hing to it.
Heat 1 tsp oil in the same kadai and roast the chillies in medium flame. Do not burn the chillies. Remove when it becomes golden. Add to the roasted dal.
Let the mixture cool down. Add salt and grind to a slightly coarse powder or fine powder as you like.
Remove in an airtight box. Use clean spoon and serve with hot idli or dosa. It stays good for 15 days to 1 month. This idli podi tastes very spicy on the first day. But all the taste gets balanced from the second day and becomes good.
Enjoy !
Note
Adjust the quantity of red chillies as per your taste.
For variations, you can add 2 tbsp of dry roasted sesame seeds and grind it.
You can also add few raw garlic cloves while grinding.
Try this simple idli podi recipe at home and enjoy with hot idli and dosa drizzled with sesame oil or ghee !
Tamil nadu style rasam powder / rasam podi recipe with step by step pictures and video. This is one of the best rasam powder I have ever made at home. I am a not a regular buyer of store bought rasam podi. But my friends used to buy Sakthi masala rasam powder, aachi rasam powder and MTR rasam powder. They say everything tastes good in its own way. But I love to grind homemade rasam powder with fresh ingredients & make rasam with it
I have already posted my Tirunelveli aachi’s rasam powder recipe for small quantity in my South Indian rasam recipe post. It smells and tastes awesome. I have also shared my Dad’s style rasam recipe using a 2 ingredient, instant rasam powder and easy bachelors style rasam. But some of my readers who tried my homemade sambar powder asked me to share authentic, traditional, Tamil people style homemade rasam powder recipe to grind & store for one month use.
When I told this to my MIL, she immediately suggested a recipe she read long back in a magazine. She made a trial batch and passed it to me. I loved its flavor and taste. Last month when my MIL came to Bangalore, I told her to make this rasam podi & idli podi and took video for my reference.
The quantity I have mentioned in this recipe comes for 1 month use if you prepare rasam regularly. Its flavor and spiciness remains the same if stored in an airtight box. You can grind it easily at home using your Indian mixer. Use it within a month to enjoy its best taste & flavor. Ok, lets see how to make Tamil nadu style homemade rasam powder recipe !
Rasam Powder Recipe - Tamil nadu Style Rasam Podi
Tamil nadu style, homemade rasam powder recipe with easily available ingredients
Measure & Take all the ingredients required for rasam powder.
Sun dry or dry roast one by one.
Cool & Grind to coarse powder.
Store for a month & make rasam with it.
RASAM POWDER RECIPE - STEP BY STEP PICTURES
Measure all the ingredients given for rasam powder. Sun dry them for one day till it gets heated. Then grind to a coarse powder and store for months.
Alternatively you can dry roast all the ingredients one by one carefully without burning them
Heat a kadai and dry roast coriander seeds till it gives nice aroma.Remove in a plate.
Then roast the methi seeds and roast till golden brown.Remove in the plate.
Dry roast cumin seeds and then pepper corns till its heated.
Now roast toor dal and chana dal till it gets heated. Collect them in the plate. Then roast the red chillies in medium flame till it becomes crispy, keep it in a separate plate.
Lastly roast the curry leaves. Switch off the flame and let it be in the hot kadai till it turns crispy. Transfer it to the red chilli plate.
After it cools down, transfer to a mixie jar. Add turmeric powder and grind everything to a slightly coarse powder. Grinding coarsely helps to retain the flavor for long time. But do not grind it too coarse. Store in an air tight box once the powder cools down completely.
You can add 1 tbsp of this rasam powder for making rasam for 3 people.
This rasam powder stays good for 1 to 2 months. Use a clean spoon for handling.
Note
I have used more red chillies which helps to retain the flavor and spiciness for more days. If you reduce the quantity of chillies, powder will become bland in taste after few days.
You can skip curry leaves if you don’t like. Instead you can add some fresh curry leaves while making rasam.
Toor dal and chana dal helps to give some thickness to the rasam. So adding cooked dal water is optional.
Use fresh ingredients and grind it whenever needed.
Try this yummy, flavorful homemade rasam powder and make rasam with it. You will love its taste !
Yesterday I made a post on kozhukattai dough using store bought idiyappam flour/ kozhukattai flour in 3 ways. In continuation with that, today I have shared how to make homemade rice flour for kozhukattai dough/ Kozhukattai maavu preparation traditionally in 2 methods. One by soaking raw rice, grinding to a fine powder, sieve and make kozhukattai outer covering dough with that homemade processed rice flour. My MIL always follows this method.
Second method is to soak the rice, grind to a thin batter and then cook to make a thick kozhukattai dough for outer cover/ Kozhukattai mel maavu. I learnt this one from my friend Shalini. She told me to make this post during last year Ganesh Chaturthi as this is her fool proof method of making homemade kozhukattai maavu. She told beginners would find it useful.
Last year I couldn’t do it. So I badly wanted to make this post at least this year. Tomorrow I will try to post some interesting kozhukattai variety. Ok, lets see how to make homemade kozhukattai dough recipe / Kozhukattai maavu with step by step pictures and video.
How to make Kozhukattai dough - Kozhukattai maavu, traditional method in 2 ways
How to make Kozhukattai dough/Kozhukattai maavu at home
Raw rice - 1 cup (Use good quality Sona masoori rice or dosa rice/Maavu arisi)
Water - as needed ( 2 cups for method 2)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Sesame oil or ghee - 1 tsp
Sesame oil - to grease hands
How to make homemade Kozhukattai maavu in 2 ways
METHOD 1 : Wash and soak raw rice in water for 2 hours.
Spread rice in a cloth. Dry for 15 minutes.
Grind to fine powder, sieve.
Dry roast the flour for 2 minutes.
Remove in a plate and cool down.
Grind the roasted flour to remove lumps. Store in a box.
Homemade kozhukattai flour is ready. You can use this as Idiyappam flour too.
METHOD 2: Wash and soak raw rice in water for 2 hours.
Grind to a smooth paste to thin smooth batter. Use the soaked water for grinding.
Heat a kadai with ghee and add rice flour batter.
Mix till thick in low flame. Knead after it becomes warm.
Wrap the dough with wet cloth and cover with a lid till use.
Kozhukattai dough / Kozhukattai maavu - Step by step photo
Always prepare the stuffing/pooranam before making kozhukattai dough because fresh dough gives best kozhukattai.
METHOD 1: Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice for 2 hours.Drain the excess water and spread in a cotton cloth.
Let it dry for 15 minutes. Remove the rice and grind to a smooth powder. Sieve and grind the coarse particles again. Sieve twice.
Dry roast the sieved flour for 2 minutes in medium flame till it heated. Make sure you do not heat it more. When you roast it, small lumps may form.So grind to a fine powder after it cools down.
Alternatively you can steam the flour in idli pot for 10 minutes. Spread in a plate, cool down and grind it.Homemade rice flour for making kozhukattai or idiyappam is ready. You can store in a box for months. For 1 cup of raw rice, you get approx. 2 cups of flour.
For making dough with this homemade rice flour, boil 1.5 cups of water adding 1/2 tsp salt and oil/ghee.
Add 1 cup of rice flour to it. Mix in low flame till it becomes a thick dough.
Remove in a plate and knead using greased hands. Dough will become non-sticky after kneading.
Cover with a wet cloth and lid above it till use. Never allow the dough to dry.Kozhukattai may crack.
METHOD 2: Wash and soak 1 cup of raw rice using 2 cups of water.Grind to a smooth batter without any grits. Grind for long time. Use the soaked water for grinding.Batter should be thin like dosa batter.
Heat a kadai with 1tsp ghee. Add the rice flour batter. Mix in low flame.It becomes a thick dough. Keep stirring to avoid lumps. When the dough becomes very thick and leaves the pan completely, switch off the flame.
Cover with a lid till warm. Transfer the dough to a plate. Grease your hands with oil and knead the dough for 5 minutes till it becomes very smooth without any cracks.
Remove the dough to a plate and cover till warm. Grease hands and knead well for 5 minutes till dough becomes completely non-sticky and smooth without cracks.
Cover the cloth with a wet dough and keep aside till use. Keep the stuffing inside the dough and make kozhukattai.
Notes
First make the stuffing part/pooranam before making the dough because dough should not sit for long time.
Kneading is important to make the dough crack free.
Dough should be non-sticky and smooth without cracks to make perfect kozhukattai.
Homemade rice flour shown in method 1 can be used to make idiyappam as well.
You can also use dosa rice/Maavu arisi instead of good quality raw rice.