How to prepare Andhra Paruppu Podi ??

Andhra is a state in India. Their meals is incomplete without this paruppu podi. Andhra Paruppu Podi literally means Andhra Lentils powder that is usually mixed with hot steamed rice along with ghee or oil.

We had never had this at home. But I started liking it after tasting it in a restaurant in Tirupati. Since then I would eagerly look for podi in any restaurant meals. My Hus too likes this podi a lot. 

Though this is not always available in my kitchen like Idli Podi, I prepare this whenever my hus stays here alone or whenever guests arrive for lunch or whenever I crave for this podi. So unlike Idli Podi (or Idli Milagai Podi), I don't prepare a fresh batch as soon as it gets over. I got this recipe from one of my friend whose native place is in Andhra. I've planned to learn more recipes from her during my vacation this time.

So here is the authentic Andhra Paruppu podi recipe:

Ingredients:

Toor Dhal (Thuvaram Paruppu) 1 cup
Split yellow Moong Dhal (Pasiparuppu) 1/2 cup
Pepper 1 1/2 tsp
Cumin 1/2 tsp
Dried Red Chillies 3
Garlic Cloves 4
Curry Leaves Few
Asafoetida 1/8 tsp
Salt

Method:

Dry roast the dhals separately until few turn slightly brown.

Dry roast the red chillies, garlic cloves, pepper and cumin seeds until they turn their color slightly. Allow to cool. Grind everything together in a mixer along with salt. Store in an air tight container.

Serve with steamed rice and oil/ghee.

 

Notes:

Toor Dhal is the main ingredient. Other ingredients are included according to one's taste preferences. Moong dhal can be replaced by Pottukadalai (Chutney Dhal / Roasted Bengal Gram) or Channa Dhal or a combination of all these. Since I include those dhals in Idli podi, I prepare this only with Moong dhal and Toor dhal & this looks like a perfect combination for us.

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How to prepare Idli Podi ??

 

One of the best accompaniments to Idli is Idli Podi, meaning Idli Powder. It is nothing but a mix of many lentils. It is mixed with ghee or oil and served with Idli or Dosa. It is prepared in every south indian household and it is served alone or along with chutneys especially, coconut chutney.

Though ingredients for this recipe is quite similar in different regions of south, their ratio differs from home to home. My Mom's Idli podi recipe is very famous; whoever comes to our home takes back a box of this podi. 

I've altered my mom's recipe and mine is less hot as I've included very less chillies and my toddler son is very fond of this podi. He likes only Poondu Chutney or Tomato Chutney. If either of these is not made, he used to have Idli or Dosa as such few months back. Now he has started eating podi along with Idli or Dosa. So I've made it less hot but I find there is no compromise in taste of the podi. My Hus says this is similar to Paruppu Podi because of its color. :)

Now into the recipe:

Ingredients:

Urad Dhal (Split/Whole) 1 cup

Sesame seeds (White) 3/4 cup

Dried Red Chilles 10

Channa Dhal (Kadalaiparuppu) handful

Pottukadalai (Roasted gram) handful

Curry leaves 3 springs

Garlic cloves (with skin) 5

Salt

Method:

In a Pan, dry roast each lentils separately. Dry roast till some of the lentils change their color slightly to light brown. Set aside to cool. Now, dry roast Curry leaves, Garlic cloves and Chillies together. Set aside to cool.

Grind everything together in a mixer once cooled. Make sure the mixer and the pan are dry. Make sure the ingredients are not burnt while frying.

Grind till the mixture transforms to a fine powder. (It will not be as fine as mill ground powder.)But over grinding makes lumps in the mixture. Store in an airtight container.

My Mom uses only 1/2 cup of sesame seeds and 1/2 to 3/4 cup of Chillies. If you are looking for hot Idli Podi, (thought not very hot as store bought Idli Podi) try this ratio, you will definitely love it. But you have to prepare it again as this would vanish soon if served with Idli and Dosa often.

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How to prepare basic Indian Tea?

You may think when everyone is posting Masala tea recipe, why has she come up with a basic tea recipe? To be very frank, I do not know how to prepare good tea till few months back. Whatever proportions I follow, I end up with many imperfections..!!! I make it watery or milky or thick. I cannot blame myself too because I am from a family who buy tea powders very rare or only for the tea-loving guests. I have had chukku coffee, chukku malli coffee, filter coffee, capuccinno and what not!! We buy coffee powder from the shops that grinds coffee powder and rarely buy instant coffee powder.

I had tea only when it was served in my office. Also, when I become too tired or lazy, I simply like to drink coffee from the machine in the office. So tea was of very less importance in life. On the contrast (but as usual), my Hus is a tea lover. He likes to taste and try different varieties of tea available in the world. Here in Jeddah, we get tea bags and powders from every brand available from all over the world. I had to invest much time in finding a way to make better (at least) tea as he has the habit of drinking tea 2-3 times a day.

I searched on internet but nothing gave me a perfect tea recipe that my Hus is looking for though I got to learn different tea recipes and few ideas. At last, after many trial and errors, this recipe is successful and now it has become a regular drink here.

Ingredients:

Tea powder 2.5 tsp (levelled)

Sugar 1 1/4 tsp for a cup

Water 1 whole cup

Fresh Milk 1 whole cup

Cardamom pods 3-4

Preparation:

Slit Cardamom pods.

Method:

In a Pan, heat water and cardamom pods together. When it starts boiling well,  add the tea powder.

When it starts boiling well and lets out nice aroma, (this would take much less time than boiling water), add the milk. (If you need light tea, stop boiling within very few seconds. If you want it strong, boil it for few more minutes and can add up to 3 tsp of tea powder.)

Boil milk as usual. 

Strain. Add sugar and then serve with biscuits of your choice. 

This would serve two with 3/4 cups of tea. The cardamom pods lets out great aroma and gives nice flavor to the tea. I feel a little more sugar (than needed for a coffee )adds much more taste to the tea.

How to make Quick Sambar???

Usually I prepare Sambar and serve only with Rice. But sometimes when I feel like preparing both Chutney and Sambar for Idli or Venn Pongal, I mostly end up making only Chutney and not sambar, as it takes more time.. Atlast, I found this method, a fusion of my Mom's method and mine, really quick and easy.

Ingredients:

Vegetables ¾ cup (350ml cup)

Ripe Tomato (Medium) 2

Toor Dhal ¾ cup (200ml cup)

Sambar Powder 2 tbsp or to taste

Turmeric Powder  ¼  tsp

Asafoetida crystal  1 / Asafoetida Powder 2 pinch

Water 4-5 tbsp (for Tamarind Juice)

Tamarind  ‘Gooseberry’ size

Salt 1 ¾ tsp or to taste

Water 2-3 cups(350ml cup) (approx)

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp

Split Urad Dhal ½ tsp

Pearl Onions 5

Curry Leaves 4

Coriander Few

Sesame Oil

Preparation:

Cut Vegetables into larger pieces. Need not cut Tomatoes.

Soak Tamarind in 4 tbsp of water only for 2 mins. Extract Juice.

Chop Pearl Onions and Coriander.

Method:

In a Pan, add Sambar Powder, Asafoetida Powder and Water. Allow to boil.

Meanwhile, cook Toor Dhal along with Turmeric Powder, Vegetables and Tomato in a Pressure Cooker. When done transfer it to the boiling water with Sambar Powder in the Pan and continue boiling. When it is almost ready, add Tamarind Juice and Simmer for 5 minutes.

Prepare the seasoning and pour it into the sambar when it is ready.

To do Seasoning:

Heat little Oil in a Pan. When hot, add Mustard Seeds. When they completely stop popping up, add Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves and Pearl Onions. Fry till the onions turn translucent. Switch off the flame. Add Coriander Leaves.

Note:

Avoid Vegetables like Brinjal, Raw/Unripe Mango, Okra/LadysFinger and Pumpkin in this method as they turn too soft.

Check out usual preparation of Sambar.

How to Prepare Idli and Dosa Batter ???

Idli and Dosa are a Common Breakfast or Dinner in any South Indian Home. Making Idli Batter in India is not at all a problem, it is a very easy task.. But when I came here to Jeddah after Marriage, I struggled a lot to get perfect fluffy Idlis and Crispy Dosa.

The first problem was I didnt have a Grinder and came to know that no Grinder is sold here. The next problem, I didnt get Whole Urad Dhal here in the local Markets. I got both Black and White(Skinned) varieties but they were only Split/Broken Dhal. The next one, I didnt get Idli Rice. I was highly frustrated.

Finally I tried with the available Broken Dhal and Raw Rice in a Mixer. The next day, when I opened the container, I was very much shocked as it was not fermented and was in its own size. I never knew that Batter may not ferment. What to do with this batter?? I made Idlis (with lots of courage). It was like a flat stone. :-( I tried Dosa, with even more courage. It came out ok but no one can eat one whole Dosa. Through surfing, I also came to know that batter does not ferment well at higher altitudes too.

I tried many methods and adding less rice in a Mixer gave me quite positive results. I added few cooked Rice while grinding and baking Powder while mixing. This made Idlis look like Idlis but not good in taste. Few weeks later, to our surprise we found Idli Rice in one of the shops far away. This time Idlis were little fluffier and tasted good but not as stone ground Idlis.

I brought Stone Grinder and many packets of Whole Urad Dhal the next time I visited India. Now I make the batter, just like that, so easy, like a lean Tamil Hero handling Gundas.

Ok.. Coming to the batter, I have drafted ideas and methods/ways to make the perfect batter so that the beginners can understand and need not suffer like me.

 

Ingredients:

Whole Urad Dhal 1.5 cup (200ml cup)

Idli Rice 6 cups                         

Fenugreek Seeds 1 ½ tsp

Baking Powder (Optional) ½ tsp

Water

Salt  5 tsp or to taste

Method:

Soak Idli Rice for 6-8 hrs. Soak Urad Dhal along with Fenugreek Seeds for 2-3 hrs. Soak Urad Dhal with twice its quantity of water as it expands when soaked.

Grind Urad Dhal and Fenugreek Seeds till smooth using a Stone Grinder with enough water. Keep it aside.

Grind Idli Rice with enough water.

Add the ground Rice batter to the ground Urad Dhal batter. Add Salt and baking Powder. Mix well with hand. Make sure the salt does not accumulate at one place. This batter should neither be watery nor be thick.

Keep it in a large container overnight for fermentation.

The next day morning, tiny bubbles can be seen at the top of the batter and the batter would have raised double the quantity or more. Do not stir. Idli can be made with this batter or can be refrigerated for future use. If the batter is thick and you feel water can be added, take the required amount of batter in a separate container and add little water and prepare Idlis.

Idli can be made with this batter for the first 2-3 days or till the sponginess exist at the top of the batter. Dosa can be prepared with the remaining batter for the next two days. Stir and add water when using the batter for Dosa.

If  you still have the batter after 4-5 days, it would become more sour. So add Rava and make Rava Dosa OR add Onions, Chillies, Curry Leaves and make Onion Oothappam.

Serves two members for 4 days.

Serve Idli and Dosa with Chutney and/or Sambar.

How to Grind Urad Dhal and Idli Rice in a Grinder:

First add half cup of water for Dhal and one cup of water for Rice (150ml cup) in the Grinder. Then add handful of dhal / Rice twice and start grinding.

As it grinds, add little water and Dhal/Rice alternatively till you complete adding it.If the stone moves slow or gets struck, it denotes less water has been added, so add water.

Few Dhal/Rice usually lies on the sides and corners of the Grinder. In this case, stop it for few seconds, wipe them to the center and continue grinding.

Grind till it becomes soft adding water if necessary.

Grinding this way ensures we have added not more but enough water and the Grinder works well for more years.

Idli Rice takes more time to grind than Urad Dhal. Idli Rice cannot be ground to smooth like Dhal. But how much better it is ground, the better is the batter.

Note:

Ratio of Whole Urad Dhal : Idli Rice is 1:4. If Idli Rice is not of the best quality, reduce the quantity of Rice, say 1:3.

Soak Idli Rice and Urad Dhal separately. Soak for more hours if the water used is very hard.

Avoid Split or Broken Dhal as it does not help much in raising the batter. If broken Dhal is used, use 1:3 ratio.

For best results, use Stone Grinder for grinding.

Grind Urad Dhal and Idli Rice separately.

Use Aluminium or Plastic Containers for refrigerating the batter.

Grinding with a Mixer:

Use 1:3 ratio. Use 1:2.5 if broken Dhal is used.
Add Cooked Rice while grinding.
Baking Powder is a must.
Use cold water as Mixer becomes hot very soon.
Grind in batches giving some breaks in between.

For more tips, check out Shilpa's and the Yum Blog's Ideas.