Parippu Podi / Channa Dal Powder

I was introduced to the various podi's /powders found in a kitchen after getting married. Yes ...that includes all the regular powders except chili powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder...that tells you how much of connection I had with the working of a kitchen before I had to manage my own. But that doesn't mean I didn't go to the kitchen... of course i was always in the kitchen ... only to check out what cooking and what to eat. How anything was made wasn't too much on my mind those days... I just loved to be in the kitchen for the aromas and the tasty dishes that magically came out at a regular basis and landed on my plate...
Even just before getting married I was only pretending to listen....:)...I learned cooking right after I got married like many of you already nodding in agreement with me :)

Of all the regular powders I came across, I knew the idli/ dosa podi which we often had at home but I was introduced to a whole world of podis in a Tamilian kitchen after I got married...there seems to be a podi for everything made of everything... Parippu Podi, Kootu Podi, Karuveppelai Podi, Thogayal Podi etc..etc ... along with the regular sambhar podi & rasam podi...
Now this list doesn't include the plethora of podi's churned out of an Andra kitchen...



So now one thing you will always find at my home is a container of Parippu Podi or Dal Powder. This simple powder that you can make in no time, goes very well with Steaming hot rice with Ghee or Sesame seed oil/ Gingelly Oil.

Ingredients:
Pottukadalai/Split roasted gram/Channa Dal/Dhalia - 1 cup
dried Red Chili - 2 Fried
Whole Pepper - 3 to 4
Dried Coconut /Copra - 2 tsp (Optional)
Salt to Taste

And
Garlic - 2-3 pods or Asafoetida / Hing - pinch.Use either one not both.
I make mine using garlic most of the time.


Lightly fry the red Chili in couple of drops of oil. Then place it along with all the other ingredients in a blender and powder them. You can leave it lightly coarse. I normally blend a little more...
Thats it. Transfer to an airtight container.

Enjoy!!