MILAGA PODI

Milaga podi also popularly known as Milagai podi or Idli podi is a spicy aromatic powder preserved in small or big quantities for some days or months. This is a very famous gun powder and found in the kitchens of every Tamil home.

A must dish served with Idli, dosa, uttappam or rice. They are many versions of this Milaga podi. Every home has its own version of making the same either less spicy or spicier, a bit more of asafoetida/ hing added to it or a bit more garlicky or less and so on....

Milaga Podi is served with generous amounts of gingelly oil or ghee serves just right with Idli or dosa. The origin of Idli Podi is from the Southern India, this dish is accompanied with the famous south Indian breakfast item Idli.

A day might not be complete for many people without an Idli. This gun powder is classified as side dish for Idli, Dosa or Uttapam. Idli podi is simple to make and does not take much time. It has different colors and texture.

Milaga podi is actually a dry chutney powder which has an authentic taste if eaten with idli. This is prepared in large quantities at a time and stored in a bottle for a long time. Some people like in the state of Kerala mix coconut oil to Milaga podi to make it flavourier. This is very spicy and tasty.

Milaga podi is made with a perfect blend of spices using the red chilies, urad dal, chana dal, hing or asafoetida, black pepper and little rice. The Milaga podi is always stored and kept ready for use, ex: when you are in a hurry or if your coconut chutney or sambar is over, this gun powder would always help.

Normally you might have also noticed in the trains that if you are traveling with Tamilians co-passengers, they would surely carry Idli tossed with Milaga podi. This is the best food to be carried during train journey. I have also seen many NRI’s who prepare this gun powder in large quantity when they come to India and take it.

To prepare the Milaga podi, firstly heat a pan and dry roast red chillies till they give a nice spicy smell. Add rice and channa dal to it and fry well. Add whole pepper corns and Ural dal. Keep stirring continuously so that they do not burn. Keep frying over a slow flame will till they turn golden brown in color.

Add curry leaves and hing (asafetida). Mix well till the curry leaves gets dry. Switch off the flame and continue to stir. Allow the mixture to cool down and blend the mixture in a blender to a coarse powder. Add salt to taste and mix well. Store in a air tight container.

This would keep the Milaga podi fresh and flavors intact.

As all the ingredients are dry roasted this would help is storing the gun powder for a longer time and increase the shelf life of this powder.There are other variations also where they add sesame seeds to the gun powder which gives a nice aroma and taste but by adding sesame seeds the shelf life would be short.

Few people mostly in Andhra add dried garlic to the Milaga podi or Milagai podi to give a garlicky taste. When you toss the hot Idlis in the Milaga podi mixed with oil, the gun powder absorbs the oil and enhances the flavor of the powder and is combined with Idli just melts in your mouth.

The Idli as such is bland in taste but when blended well with the Milaga podi gives a nice spicy and nutty flavor. Out of my experience I know a person who carries few gun powders in small bottles when ever he is traveling.

When I asked him why? He said that these powders would help him during crisis that means if he doesn’t get good food then he would go to any nearby hotels or Chinese stalls and pick up steamed or cooked rice, mix the gun powder and eat.This is one of the best and easiest meals which are really delicious. This recipe is immensely simple and quick to make.

Watch the making of the Milaga podi at:

 

Gun Powder -Milaga podi
	4.0 Stars based on 246 Reviews Author : tamrapa... Published On : Mar 31, 2008 Preparation Time: 7 min Recipe Type : Others Cooking Time : 10 min Standing Time : 10 Yield : 4 (4 servings) Ingredient : Dall Description : Spicy gun powder ,apart from pickles podis are another form of spicing up many dishes and the mother of all podis (powders) in South Indian Cooking is gunpowder by Tamrapali

Recipe of Gun Powder -Milaga podi
Ingredient Name	Unit	Quantity
Chana dal	cup	3/4
Curry leaves(optional)	cup	1/2
hing	pinch
pepper corns	cup	1/2
Red chilli(Whole)	cup	8-10
Rice	cup	1/2
Urad dal	cup	3/4
Directions | How to make Gun Powder -Milaga Podi
1. Dry roast red chillies till they r cooked well .Add rice & chana dal to it & cook well. 2. Add whole pepper & urad dal .Continuously stir it & cook on low heat till they get golden brown. 3. Add curry leaves & hing, mix well.Switch off the flame but continue to stir. 4. Allow it to cool down before blending. 5, Put it into the blender & make it into a coarse powder. 6.Add salt to taste & its ready to use ..
Recipe Tips	Serving Ideas
1.Due to dry roast of ingredients the shelf life of this powder is more. 2.Slow cooking is required .	Serve with rice,idlis ,dosas.