South Indian food has a special place in the heart of every foodie. Be it simple idli for breakfast or spicy Chettinad curry for lunch, this region of the country has something for everyone. This cuisine comprises of five states namely Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana. Coconut, curry leaves, mustard oil and rice are some staple ingredients of their kitchen.
When it comes to spices and condiments, there is a special spice mix in South Indian cuisine called podi. It is basically a blend of lentils, sesame seeds, curry leaves and spices like black pepper and cumin. This condiment is usually eaten with steamed rice, idli, dosa, uttapam, poriyal, pulao, curry and so on. But do you know there are many varieties of this spice mix that vary from region to region?
From milagai to vazhakkai, five types of South Indian podi you must try:
Milagai Podi
Also known as idli podi or gunpowder, it is one of the most popular varieties of this spice-mix. There are many versions of milagai podi and it is an important part of South Indian tiffin eateries. The main ingredients of this podi are chana dal, urad dal, sesame seeds, red chillies, cumin, curry leaves and dried coconut.
Ellu Podi
This spicy condiment uses sesame seeds as one of the main ingredients. Ellu podi goes well with rice, idli and dosa for breakfast as well as lunch. Urad dal, red chilli and asafoetida are other main components of this podi and it can be stored for up to twenty days in an air-tight container. Reduce the quantity of red chilli if you want a less-spicy condiment.
Vazhakkai Podi
This podi is made from raw bananas and unlike the other variations of this spice mix, it has a crumbled texture. It is prepared by roasting raw banana and the other ingredients of this condiment are urad dal, chana dal, red chillies and curry leaves. It is best served with rasam or sambar.
Chammanthi Podi
This variety of spice mix belongs to the cuisine of Kerala. The main ingredient of this flavourful podi is coconut which is combined with urad dal, dry chillies and curry leaves. Chammanthi podi is perfect for all three meals and can be paired with dishes like idli, dosa, upma, sambar rice as well as rasam rice.
Paruppu Podi
Paruppu podi is also known as kandi podi. It is made from three varieties of dal including split gram along with flavourful ingredients like red chillies, curry leaves, pepper, cumin and other spices. It perfectly pairs with rice for lunch. This podi can be stored for up to three months at room temperature.