Milagai Podi, South Indian Idli Gunpowder
Milagai podi, known in English as gunpowder, is the condiment that makes plain idli worth eating. It is nothing but lentils, sesame, and dried chile, each toasted separately and ground coarse, and every South Indian household guards its own ratio. Roasting is the whole craft here: too pale and it tastes raw, too dark and it turns bitter, so keep the heat low and your nose working. Traditionally it is eaten mixed with gingelly oil, but a spoonful stirred into hot water makes an oil-free paste that clings just as well.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Yellow split peas
- 1/4 cup Red lentils
- 1/3 cup Sesame seeds
- 8 Byadgi chiles, broken
- 2 Kashmiri chiles, broken
- 20 Curry leaves
- 1/2 tsp Asafoetida
- 1 tsp Black peppercorns
Method
- Warm a dry pan over medium-low heat. Toast the yellow split peas alone, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes until they turn golden and smell like popcorn. Roasting the raw lentils is the entire flavor of a podi, so go slow and do not let them scorch.
- Add the red lentils and toast 2 minutes more, then tip both into a bowl. Working the lentils in stages keeps the smaller, faster ones from burning while the split peas finish.
- In the same pan, toast the sesame seeds until they pop and turn tan, about 2 minutes, and add them to the bowl. Then toast the broken chiles, curry leaves, and peppercorns for 1 minute until the leaves are crisp and the chiles darken slightly.
- Add the asafoetida to the warm pan off the heat and swirl for a few seconds. Its raw smell is harsh, but a moment of heat turns it savory and oniony, which is why it belongs in the roast, not the grinder alone.
- Let everything cool completely, then grind to a coarse, sandy powder, not a paste. The sesame carries just enough oil that over-grinding turns it clumpy, so pulse until it looks like coarse sand.
- Store in a jar. Serve a spoonful stirred into a little hot water to make a paste for idli or dosa, or sprinkle it dry over rice. The toasted lentils and chile are so intense that it needs no salt. It keeps a month at room temperature.
Nutrition
Estimated per serving: 60 calories, 3 g protein, 2 g fiber, 5 mg sodium. Computed from USDA FoodData Central reference values for the main ingredients. This is an approximation, not a laboratory measurement. How these are computed.
Cost per serving is estimated from US national-average retail prices for cheap staple forms, using BLS dried-bean prices and USDA produce prices. Prices vary by store and season, so treat it as a guide, not a receipt. How this is computed.
