A nutritious powder made from roasted horse gram, red chilies, and spices, often mixed with rice or used as a side dish.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Serves: 20 people
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How to Prepare
Dry roast the horse gram (kollu) in a heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat for 5-7 minutes until it turns aromatic and slightly golden. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Transfer to a plate to cool.
In the same pan, dry roast the dried red chilies for 2-3 minutes until they become crisp. Remove and set aside to cool.
Roast the coriander seeds for 2-3 minutes until aromatic. Transfer to the plate with horse gram.
Roast cumin seeds for 1-2 minutes until they release their aroma. Set aside to cool.
Roast black peppercorns for 1 minute until aromatic. Let them cool.
Once all ingredients are cooled to room temperature, transfer them to a dry blender or mixer grinder.
Add salt and grind everything into a coarse powder. Ensure not to over-grind to maintain texture.
Spread the ground powder on a plate to cool completely if it feels warm.
Store the kollu podi in an airtight container. It can be used as a side dish with rice and ghee or as a seasoning.