Making Sambar And Rasam Powder And Vethakozhambu Podi, Milagai Podi

Since Picasa seems to be gone (Damn, I miss it), I am writing down some of the crucial recipes for south Indian / Tamil menu items here. Recipes were so nice to maintain in Picasa.

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Rasam and Sambar powder:   Rasam      Sambar

Dhaniya (glassful=200ml):     2                 2 

Red chili (glassful):               2.25           2.25

Tuvar dal (glassful):               0.5             0.5 

Chana dal (glassful):         Very Little        0.5 

Methi (Karandi = 50gm):       None       25ml 

Jeera (Karandi):                   0.5             None 

Pepper (Karandi):                   1              None

Haldi sticks:                           2                 2

All ingredients for rasam powder (on the left) and sambar powder on right should be roasted and left to cool. Rasam to be ground rough (once in mill) and sambar fine (twice). Chana dal needs a longer time to roast. Haldi to be roasted for 2 min. Rest for rasam powder can be roasted together, for 4min. 1 glass: 200ml. Karandi: big size (100ml). 

See sample proportions below for sambar powder. Dhania was 100ml below. 

Roast chana dal and haldi together. Rest can be roasted together.

Incidentally, while making Jeera rasam if one were to grind dhaniya seeds also along with other stuff, it turns out pretty good.

Jeera rasam powder:

See picture below. Tuvar dal, red chilli, pepper, jeera to be roasted and ground.

Vethakozhambu Podi:  Take equal measures (1 karandi) of Tuvar dal, Chana dal, Urad dal, Pepper.  Also need a little Haldi (ideally Sticks of Haldi. But if you dont have it then, use haldi powder), curry leaves. Roast each of them separately, stir constantly while roasting. Be careful with chana dal, it might become over roasted if not stirred carefully. Roast other dals until they become a little reddish. Roast pepper until you hear crackling sound. Break haldi into small pieces and roast a little (a minute or so). Curry leaves to be roasted until they becomes dry (remove the stem and roast only the leaf). Mix roasted stuff, then grind them. Mix the ground powder with chili powder-ratio 2:1. Result is Milagu podi. This is used in Vetha Kothambu, Gotsu,  Perungayam Vitta Poricha Kozhambu. 

Milagai Podi (for idli, dosa)
Fry all dal (except moong dal), solid hing and red chilies, pepper and white ellu (preferred over black ellu) in til oil. 

Note:

1. Til is to be roasted (meaning without oil) and not fried
2. Fry chilies separately because of its higher volume.. Mix all the stuff and grind them.

Additional reading:

• http://vbala99.blogspot.com/2017/01/recipe-chakkarai-pongal.html: Chakkarai Pongal
• http://vbala99.blogspot.com/2017/01/making-ghee-from-home-made-butter.html: Making Home made ghee
• http://vbala99.blogspot.com/2015/08/a-list-of-indian-mostly-tamil-lunch-and.html