koora podi

I think every regional cuisine in India has its own magic spice blend which gives it that distinctive flavor and brings it to life.  Garam masala from Punjabi cuisine comes to mind immediately but think panch phoran in Bengali cuisine or methkut in Maharashtrian food or the ghashi in Mangalorean food and so on.  The one I was most familiar with while growing up on Andhra food was the koora podi; a spice mix made by dry roasting some dals, coriander seeds, dried coconut and sometimes adding peanuts and sesame seeds.  When one ran out of ideas or time to make an elaborate dish, this was either sprinkled on top or stuffed into vegetables, making the dish a star of the plate.

A very easy and versatile spice mix made by simply dry-roasting the spices and some dried coconut flakes before blending into a coarse powder.  Sometimes I make a slightly more elaborate version by adding dry-roasted sesame seeds, peanuts and some tamarind.  That version is particulary delicious when paired with eggplant.  My pinni (maternal aunt) makes this the best and I still drool at the memory.  Her house was our first stop during the annual summer trip to my amamma’s place.  After an overnight journey, the train would arrive early in the morning into Secunderabad and my Uncle would be waiting to receive us at the platform.  Then a rickshaw ride home and a hot bath later, we would be sitting to an early lunch of these eggplants with hot rice and tomato dal.  How some memories stay with us!

I found some beautiful finger-sized baby eggplants at the farmer’s market and made the stuffed version the other day.  I typically make a large batch of the podi and store in the fridge since it has coconut.  You can keep small amounts in an airtight bottle at room temperature and save the rest in the fridge or freezer.  This powder pairs particularly well with all kinds of gourd vgetables, zucchini and even sprinkled on a simple cabbage stir-fry.  In a pinch, it also fills in for chutney powder to be had with idlis and dosas.  Just make sure to mix in some good sesame or peanut oil 🙂

Print Recipe

koora podi

Ingredients

• Version 1:
• 1/3 cup chana dal
• 1/3 cup urad dal
• 2/3 cup coriander seeds
• 2 tbsp cumin seeds
• 12-20 byadgi red chillies
• 1 cup unsweetened dried coconut
• salt to taste**
• Version 2:
• The above plus:
• 1/2 cup dry-roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup dry-roasted sesame seeds
• walnut -sized ball of tamarind
• 1 tsp jaggery powder

Instructions

1

Heat a skillet or small wok for a couple of mins and then add the chana and urad dals. Roast them over a medium flame, stirring often until they start to give off a nice aroma.*

2

Add the dried red chilles and roast for a couple of mins.

3

Then add the coriander and cumin seeds and roast until the dals just start to change color. Add the tamarind now if making version 2.

4

Add the dried coconut, stir for a couple of minutes and then turn off the stove. Add the peanuts and sesame seeds if making version 2.

5

Transfer to a plate to cool and then blend to a coarse powder along with some salt.**

Notes

* Make sure you are stirring constantly and keep the flame at medium since the dals tend to scorch quickly. ** I add only a small amount of salt since one typically adds salt to the cooking vegetables. If using to stuff vegetables, add more salt to the powder before stuffing.