If you like having South Indian breakfast, then surely you must be aware of how well a serving of hot idlis or crispy dosas complements an excellent bowl of idli podi.

Also known as idli milagai podi, idly powder or milagai podi, this dry spicy powder is made up of roasted lentils, red chillies, curry leaves and spices. Just combine it with gingelly oil or ghee and you have an easy and yummy accompaniment for idli and dosas.

The best part is that you can conveniently make your own homemade idli podi in your kitchen. You can manage the amount of spiciness in it, roast the ingredients as per your preference and prepare a quantity which can serve you many times.

In this article, we will learn how to make idli podi at home, its required ingredients, procedure for roasting and grinding it along with its storage method.

What Is Idli Podi?

Contrary to coconut chutney or sambar, idli podi is not something that needs to be prepared every single morning. One can prepare it in bulk, store it in an air-tight container, and use whenever required.

Idli Podi is a dry South Indian spice blend which usually goes well with the idli and dosa. In Tamil Nadu, it is also referred to as Milagai Podi or Idli Milagai Podi.

Idli podi is easy to understand in concept. It consists of lentils and spices which are roasted and ground to create a coarse blend. Chillies provide the heat to the idli podi whereas the lentils add the texture and flavor.

Similar to other podi recipes, Kaadu Organics uses the same traditional recipe for its Idli Podi.

Ingredients for Homemade Idli Podi

Here is a simple Tamil-style recipe that you can make at home.

Main ingredients

½ cup urad dal
½ cup chana dal
10–12 dried red chillies
¼ cup curry leaves
1 teaspoon asafoetida
1 teaspoon salt, or as needed
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon black pepper

You can adjust the number of red chillies depending on how spicy you want your podi to be.

For a milder version, remove some of the seeds from the red chillies or reduce the quantity.

For serving

You can mix your homemade idli podi with:

Gingelly oil
Ghee
Sesame oil

Gingelly oil is especially popular in Tamil households and gives the podi a delicious traditional flavour.

How to Make Homemade Idli Podi

Preparing idli podi may be simple, but the right roasting of all the ingredients is crucial.

Burnt lentils or chillies might make your podi bitter tasting. Therefore, low to medium heat is recommended in roasting the ingredients.

Steps for preparing idli podi:

Step 1: Roasting of the urad dal

Put dry kadai or pan on low to medium heat.
Add urad dal to the kadai/pan and roast.
Stir continuously to ensure even roasting of the lentils.
Roast till they turn light golden in colour and emit a roasted aroma.

Step 2: Roasting of the chana dal

Transfer chana dal into the same kadai/pan.
Roast it on low to medium heat till it turns golden and emits an aroma.
It should not be rushed as it will give homemade idli podi its signature taste.
Cool it on the same plate.

Step 3: Roasting of the red chillies

Add the dried red chillies to the pan.
They should be roasted for a little while under low heat as they can get burnt very quickly.
The chillies just need to be roasted until they are crispy and fragrant.
If your kitchen does not have good ventilation, then roast the chillies with the window open as chilli smoke could get overwhelming.

Step 4: Roasting of the curry leaves

Add the curry leaves to the pan.
They should be roasted until they become crisp and dry.
This step is essential as moisture in the curry leaves will shorten the life of your podi.

Step 5: Roast spices

At this stage, add cumin seeds and black pepper.
Roast these briefly until they acquire an aroma.
Then add asafoetida and turn off the fire.
Mix all these things and let them cool down completely.

Step 6: Grind the spices

After cooling down the ingredients, add them to a mixer grinder.
Also, add salt to them.
Grind all the ingredients coarsely.
Do not grind the mixture finely into flour, as traditional idli podi tastes good if it has a coarse consistency.
Test taste a small quantity after grinding.
For more spiciness, roast one or two red chillies and then mix with the spices..

Step 7: Pack the podi

Pack the prepared home-made idli podi into a very dry airtight box.
Keep the podi completely cooled before packing in the box.
Ensure that the podi is kept in a cool and dry place.

How to Eat Homemade Idli Podi

The most common way of eating idli podi is with hot idlis and gingelly oil.

Just take a spoon or two of podi and keep it on a small plate.
Put some gingelly oil and mix it up till you get the right consistency.
Then dip the hot idli in the mixture.

If you want a richer taste, then you can use ghee instead of oil.

Idli Podi With Dosa

Idli podi also goes really well with dosa.
Sprinkle some podi over a hot dosa and put some ghee or gingelly oil over it.
You can even fold the dosa and have it for a quick breakfast.

Idli Podi With Rice

Podi is not restricted only for breakfast.
Just mix some podi with hot rice and gingelly oil or ghee to make a simple meal.
It is also good with curd rice, upma, paniyaram and uttapam.

Tips for Making Better Homemade Idli Podi

1. Roast gradually

Do not use high heat to roast the ingredients quickly.

It will help in developing the taste of the lentils and chillies and prevent burning.

2. Stir regularly

Lentils may get burnt at the bottom of the pan if not stirred properly.

Stir continuously during the process of roasting.

3. Cool before grinding

Always cool the roasted mixture before grinding it in the mixer.

It will also help you get a good consistency.

4. Do not add water

Idli podi is a dry powder. So, do not add any water in it during the grinding process.

Adding water will decrease its shelf life.

5. Adjust the level of spiciness

There is no particular level of spiciness for the idli podi.

Add more red chillies in case you want a spicy podi. But in case you are preparing it for kids or other people who like mild food, add less chillies.

How to Store Homemade Idli Podi

It is necessary to store the podi appropriately if one intends to maintain its freshness.

A glass or food safe container that is completely dry and airtight should be used.
Make sure that there is no moisture in the storage container before keeping the podi in it.
Always use a dry spoon for taking out podi from the container.
Make sure that the container is kept away from sunlight and moisture.

If one prepares a larger quantity, he/she can keep it in several smaller containers. It will help reduce the instances of opening the whole batch.

In order to get the best flavor, prepare smaller batches that your family will be able to finish within a reasonable time.

If you find moisture, an odd smell, mold or a drastic change in taste, do not eat the podi.

Homemade Idli Podi vs Ready-Made Idli Podi

If you like idli podi and would like to have a complete control over the selection of the ingredients as well as the spiciness of the podi then you should definitely go for making podi at home. But it will take you some time to make a podi.

It involves roasting lentils, chillies, curry leaves and spices. Everything should be cooled down before grinding it. If you are busy in the morning then the readymade podi would definitely suit you better.

If you like the traditional taste but are not able to make it every day due to lack of time then you can try Kaadu Organics Idli Podi online. It is made with select ingredients and roasted slowly for developing its aroma and roasted taste.

Final Thoughts

It is quite simple to make podi idli at home. One needs only some basic ingredients and proper roasting to get delicious Tamil podi made at home.

There are two key points to keep in mind while making podi – one should roast the ingredients properly and not burn them, and keep everything cooled before grinding and finally storing the podi in a dry airtight container.

And in case one does not have time to make podi, he/she need not worry about the authentic flavor, as they can keep some ready-made podi in their kitchen and eat it with hot idlis/dosas/rice.

Frequently Asked Questions About Homemade Idli Podi

1. What is homemade idli podi made of?

Homemade idli podi can be made using roasted lentils, dried red chillies, curry leaves, spices, salt and asafoetida. The exact ingredients can vary from one family recipe to another.

2. Is idli podi the same as milagai podi?

Yes, the names are often used for the same type of South Indian dry spice powder. In Tamil Nadu, you may hear names such as milagai podi, idli milagai podi, idli podi and idly powder.

3. Can I make idli podi without red chillies?

Yes, but red chillies are an important part of the traditional flavour. If you cannot handle much spice, reduce the quantity instead of removing them completely.