About Idli Podi

Idli Podi is also known as Milagai Podi in Tamil, which translates to chili/spicy powder. The Tamil word “Milagai” means chilies and “Podi” is powder. Idli Podi is known by various names across South India such as Idli karam podi, gun powder & chutney pudi. Usually this spicy condiment is served with hot idlis & a drizzle of unrefined sesame oil or melted Ghee. However it is very common for South Indians to sprinkle this over Dosa, Uttapam, Upma, Semiya upma, plain rice, Curd rice & Lemon rice. Basically it is an all-in-one flavorsome spicy powdered condiment that’s going to add zing to your palate. This condiment is sheer delight with every bite since it is unique in every way – taste, texture & appearance. When you are short of time to cook your meal, try the simple hack of mixing this coarse powder with steaming hot rice and ghee – It takes you to food heaven for sure! Idli Podi is a South Indian invention & has three main ingredients. Raw lentils, seeds and red chilies (the hot the better). They are roasted to bring out the flavors, cooled and then ground to a coarse powder in a grinder. The resulting reddish-brown powder is a tongue twister in every way. You’ll find different versions in different homes and even regional variations among the states.

My Recipe

My time-tested recipe is our favorite at home and it comes with so many variations you can try. Do check out the variations section below after the recipe card. More of roasted dal gives you a milder podi while the use of Guntur chilies can set your tongue on fire. Some grind it to a fine powder. Other prefer a coarser crunch to it. Some add curry leaves and even dry ginger during winters. Others keep it simple with only lentils, chili and curry leaves. You can swap sesame seeds with flax seed or peanuts, add coconut, garlic, tamarind, or even jaggery to suit your taste.

How to make Idli Podi (Stepwise Photos)

Preparation

If you double or triple the recipe, make sure you dry roast chana dal & urad dal separately because the roasting time is different for both. Since I made a small batch I roasted both at the same time.

  1. Dry roast 6 to 8 dried red chilies (adjust to heat levels) until they turn crisp and set aside. Now dry roast ¼ cup of urad dal and ¼ cup chana dal (Bengal gram) on a medium heat until deep golden and aromatic. Be careful not to burn. Transfer chillies and lentils to a plate and let the mixture cool.
  2. Rinse and pat dry 2 sprigs of curry leaves with a kitchen tissue. Dry roast them in the same pan on a low heat. I prefer to dry roast instead of using oil. If you prefer you can fry them in oil but the podi may not blend well with oil.
  3. Dry roast on a low flame till they turn crisp. Set these aside as well.
  4. It is the same here. If you are a beginner, dry roast each ingredient below separately until aromatic. However I do it together. Now add the following ingredients:

¼ cup sesame seeds 1 tablespoon cumin or jeera ¼ cup dried coconut (copra) or desiccated coconut

  1. Add 2 garlic cloves (wipe dry, optional). On a low heat roast until the sesame seeds crackle & everything begins to smell good. Take care not to burn. You can skip garlic but it adds a good flavor. Cool all these ingredients. You can also replace sesame with peanuts. If you want to use peanuts, roast them separately until golden and aromatic.

Grind Idli Podi

  1. Powder finely (or slightly coarse) red chilies and dal first. Scrape off the sides of the blender jar, then add sesame seeds, coconut, cumin, garlic, curry leaves and salt. Start with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Taste test and If you want you may add more.
  2. Powder them. If you try to blend all the roasted ingredients together, it may yield a very coarse powder unless you have a powerful blender. Store idli podi in a air tight glass or steel jar. Serve idli podi with idli & ghee. Store idli podi in an airtight glass or steel jar. It keeps good for several months. Here is a picture of the same but made with peanuts and more byadgi red chilies. Different regions made idli podi in different ways. Here are some variations:

Variations of Idli Podi

  1. Traditional Tamil style milagai podi is made of only 6 ingredients – urad dal, chana dal, sesame seeds, red chilies, hing & salt. However ingredients like jeera, tamarind, jaggery & garlic are also included by many.
  2. Andhra style idli karam podi is made in so many different ways. Each region has their own variations. The ingredients are the same as shared in the recipe card below. But includes coriander seeds and excludes sesame seeds. I make idli podi only few times a year. I make the peanut podi or flaxseed podi more often since my kids love both of those. They are also more healthy than the basic one. To make idli podi, I use chana dal, urad dal, dried coconut and sesame seeds in equal quantities. Dried coconut is optional but I prefer to use since it is high in calcium. It gives a nice nutty aroma but ensure to use fresh and good quality copra. Do not use rancid smelling coconut. Red chilies are used to spice up the idli podi. To add flavor cumin and garlic are used. For health benefits curry leaves or flax seeds can also be added. These proportions work well to make a flavorful milagai podi. I do not use tamarind and jaggery, only reason there is no way to filter and use them for this recipe, so i skip them. idli podi remains fresh for a couple of months if handled with moist free spoons. I make idli podi with so many variations, you can try with peanuts, flax seeds or even with some almonds. For more South Indian recipes, you may like to checkDosa recipePoori recipeRestaurant style masala dosaUttapamPaniyaram

Recipe Card