Idli Podi | Milagai Podi

A South Indian staple spice mix

Finally, my favorite kitchen ingredient features on my blog! Molagapudi is the most prized possession in my pantry. In fact, every time someone visits us from India, this spice powder is always on the list for them to get for me. I look forward to the freshly ground homemade molagapudi packets from my MIL and aunt. It's only when that stock is over, that I need to make some more myself and buy the store-bought ones only in dire emergency situations. This time too when my bestie visited us along with her family, she got me my favorite molagapudi! Together we relished the homemade powder along with Oats and Flax Seed Idli and Masala Dosa. There is one more thing about this spice powder and me. I hate to share the homemade ones with all here especially because it's a treasured item. I don't mind sharing the one I have made or got from the store but if it's a packet from home, then only I get to taste it! I do rationing of it and even let KR consume it in batches. My association with this spice powder is since childhood!

What is Molaga Podi

For those of you wondering what this hoopla is all about, allow me to explain. Molagapudi is made up of 2 words. Molaga means red chillies and podi means powder in Tamil (a native South Indian language). This spice powder is extensively used in South Indian cooking. It's freshly prepared at home and stocked up for months. When we need to use it as an accompaniment with idli/dosa/adai, we simply mixed the spice powder with sesame oil and serve it. While there is the traditional coconut chutney which is also served as a side for these dishes, but molagapudi is the most preferred combo. It is also known as gunpowder or idli chutney powder. Markets also sell ready-made packets of this powder but I prefer homemade. The spice quotient of the powder varies as it depends upon who is eating it. I like it hot and fiery. Every house down South of India has its own family recipe for making this spice powder. The recipe that I follow is from my grandma. You can very well call it one of the essential spice mixes in a South Indian kitchen!

Homemade recipe

The oldest memory I have of witnessing this spice being made by grandma goes back to my childhood. As kids, when we used to visit her home during our Summer holidays, she would always make a batch of Mysore Pak, Idli Molagapudi, and Mango Pickle for us before we leave. It was like a ritual. I would patiently stand next to her and observe her cook. She made it seem so effortless. I miss her and her food today. She truly was the best cook and as a family we all enjoyed her lavish meal spread every time we visited her. You know, even today, I do not like the flavor of store-bought pickles as it just doesn't taste like my grandma's. It was years later I got to know why she would always make Mysore Pak (a traditional Indian dessert) along with Molagapudi. Her logic was, if sending something spicy for someone, always accompany it with something sweet. Ain't that sweet! My aunt still follows this logic and whenever her courier arrives, there is one packet of molagapudi and one packet of some sweets neatly packed with it. 

How to make it 

Lots of whole spices are used in this recipe. The process of making this spice powder is extremely simple. It's a two-step process - roast and grind. That's it! The roasting of these spices emits a very nice aroma which I absolutely love. That is the highlight of the recipe for me. We need to dry roast each ingredient separately but need to be careful to not burn it. First, we roast black sesame seeds and then white sesame seeds till they turn light golden. Next dry roast split roasted chickpeas/dalia till it turns nice and golden. Now add oil and roast the dried red chillies for a minute or two. Again, heat oil and roast urad dal. Take it off the pan and let them all cool. First, grind the urad dal. My dad prefers little coarseness in the powder as it gives a slight crunch while eating, so my mom would make it coarse. KR prefers it to be smooth so I grind it to a fine powder. It's really your choice here. 

Keep the ground urad dal on the side for now. Next, add all the other ingredients along with salt and asafoetida to the blender. Grind them to a fine powder. Add them to a mixing bowl along with the ground urad dal. Mix it all together and store it in an airtight container. While serving, add a spoonful of the molagapudi and drizzle some sesame oil over it. Mix it. Serve it with any variety of dosa or idli. I sometimes lick off this eat molagapudi as is and be content. There is an inside joke in my family that while most people use this powder only as a side for idli/dosa, for me it's the other way around! I eat dosa/idli only because I can eat it with Molagapudi! No wonder, I need to make this spice so frequently. But for normal people, 1-2 tablespoon is all that is needed in each serving. This quantity of gunpowder stays good for nearly 5-6 months if stored in airtight containers. While the taste of this is nowhere close to my grandma's, it still tastes yummy and is hot & spicy. You can even add this powder to curries and gravies or sprinkle it over pancakes.

You can also make something like Mini Masala Idli with molagapudi. Check out some exciting Idli and Dosa recipes here - Vermicelli Oats Idli, Healthy Vegetable Idlis in Pink, Mysore Masala Dosa, Adai Dosai with Tomato Almond Chutney, Ragi & Kale Idli | Finger Millet & Kale Steamed Cakes, Instant Sweet Potato & Quinoa Idli/Steamed Cakes, Sweet Corn & Bulgur Wheat Mini Steamed Cakes| Idli, Oats and Flax Seed Idli, Savory Veggie Dosa Waffles, Green Peas Crepes/Dosa, Instant Carrot & Oats Dosa/Crepes, Onion Rava Dosa, Potato Dosa, Masala Dosa with Sweet Potato Filling, and Mysore Masala Dosa.

Recipe 📖

Molagapudi

Priya Lakshminarayan

Molagapudi is a dry lentil spiced powder from the South Indian cuisine. Its mixed with sesame oil & served as a condiment for idli/dosa. A family recipe.

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course accompaniment, condiment, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian, South Indian

Servings 64 tablespoons

Calories 29.45 kcal

Equipment

• pan
• Mixer Grinder

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 cup urad dal
• ▢ 1 cup chana dal
• ▢ 35 gms dried red chillies
• ▢ ½ cup white sesame seeds
• ▢ 2 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• ▢ 1 teaspoon asafoetida
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oil
• ▢ Salt

Instructions 

• Dry roast white sesame seeds and black sesame seeds for 2-3 minutes on medium flame. Keep stirring them around to ensure even roasting. They will start popping.
• Transfer to a plate and let it cool.
• Add half a teaspoon of oil and roast chana dal and urad dal or 2-3 minutes.
• Transfer to a plate and let it cool.
• Add the remaining oil to the pan and once it's hot, add the dried red chillies along with a teaspoon of asafoetida. Roast them for a minute or two.
• Transfer to a plate and let it cool.
• Transfer roasted red chillies to a blender jar.
• Blitz to make powder.
• To that, add roasted black and white sesame seeds. Blitz to make powder. Transfer this powder to a mixing bowl.
• Add the roasted chana dal, and urad dal to the blender jar and grind it fine or slightly coarse.
• Transfer to the same mixing bowl.
• Add salt and the remaining asafoetida. Mix it all.
• Transfer to a clean dry airtight container. At the time of serving, add a tablespoon of molagapodi on a serving plate, drizzle sesame oil on top, and mix it. Serve it with any dosa or idli.

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Nutrition

Serving: 1tablespoon | Calories: 29.45kcal | Carbohydrates: 4.05g | Protein: 1.5g | Fat: 0.92g | Saturated Fat: 0.11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.34g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.31g | Sodium: 0.86mg | Potassium: 17.09mg | Fiber: 1.64g | Sugar: 0.29g | Vitamin A: 145.22IU | Vitamin C: 0.31mg | Calcium: 21.2mg | Iron: 0.59mg

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