Kuzhambu Podi (Sambhar Powder)

This is my mom’s recipe. She gave me this measurements. 

MY MOM’s Sambhar Podi

Ingredients:

Colorful Red chillies                           - 2 cups

Coriander seeds                                 - 2 cups

Bengal gram (Chenna dal)                   - ½ cup

Toovar dal                                         – ½ cup

Fenugreek                                         – 2 tbsp

Black Peppercorns                                – ¼ cup

Turmeric Roots (Dried) - 50 Gms or Turmeric powder – 3 tbsp

My Aunt Sundari makes very good Sambhar powder. Her method is this:

Ingredients:

Kundu Millghai Vatral (Red chillies)             – 1000gm

Coriander Seeds                                      – 750 Gms

Toovar dal                                              – 200 Gms

Chenna dal                                            – 150 Gms

Black Peppercorns                                   – 50 Gms

Fenugreek                                                – 50 Gms

Turmeric                                               – 150 Gms

Both the Method:

•  Dry roast all above ingredients separately or dry them in hot sun for 2 days.
• Mix all the ingredients and make it into a fine powder.
• Store the powder in an air tight container and use it for making Sambhar or Kuzhambu.

Mulaghai Podi / Spicy Gun Powder

Most of the Tamil homes prepare this powder and preserve it in airtight container. This powder is served usually with any tiffin items like idli, dosa, or adai. You can make this powder less or more spicy When I was in Cochin my neighbor Iyengar Mami, gave me this measurement.

Ingredients:

Urdh dhal                             - 1 cup

Chenna dhal / Bengal gram       1 cup

Dry Red chillies                    - 2 cups

Asafoetida                           - 1 tsp

White Ellu                              - ¼ cup

Oil                                      – 1 tbsp

Salt ( rock salt)                      as you need

Method:

• Heat the wok and dry fry the white Ellu . Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in wok and fry dhals separately, till golden brown color.
• Add Asafetida fry for few minutes. Keep aside.
• Add red chillies in the wok and fry the chillies till that color changes and aroma comes out. ( Flame should be in low).
• Cool the roasted ingredients and grind coarsely in a mixer.