KARUVEPPILAI PODI - CURRY LEAVES POWDER

    Indian Cuisine and the women folk had known their knacks of storing produces available in abundance for a long period in the best possible way. Maybe, in the form of drying, pickling, converting into spice powders, vadams, vathals, syrups etc., Indian women folk take meticulous measures to get these products stored for a longer time when the produces are in Season. And during Summers it is one common scenario where they make use of the scorching sun to get the produces sun-dried for better storage.

    Any South Indian Pantry would be incomplete without Spice Powders or Podi Varieties. As simple as it is, the list is quite long and versatile. Karuveppilai Podi has its place along with other spice powders like Idli Podi, Paruppu Podi, Poondu(Garlic)Podi, Kollu(Horse Gram)Podi, Sundal Podi etc. All these spice powders are prepared to stay for a longer time and with the idea of Ready-to-use purpose. A call for a lazy day or when you are tired or down with sickness, these ready to use items comes out like a saviour in Indian households.

    Karuveppilai Podi is a traditional Spice Powder & finds a special place in South Indian household. Every kitchen has a version of their own to name their style & to mark their taste and preference. Readymade spice powder makes the work simple and less time-consuming. 

   Just cook the rice, add a few teaspoons of any of these Spice Powders into the hot steaming rice, pour out a hearty drizzle of melted Ghee/Gingelly Oil and accompany it with your choice of side dish or just a simple Vathal/Vadam/Appalam. There you are with a hearty meal contenting to the core.

My husband's colleague who is from East Godavari in Andhra Pradesh bought us some fresh homemade Spice Powders like Paruppu Podi & Karuveppilai Podi along with Avakkai Urugai & Putherakulu a paper-like sweet famous from their region. It was the first time we tasted sweet like that. The Spice Powders were too good & it ran out in no time.

   Though I had never before made Karuveppilai Podi wanted to give a try to the same and there I went with my expedition. Fresh Curry Leaves from the Garden to the Kitchen & right away converted into Karuveppilai Podi/Curry Leaves Powder. Freshly roasted spices and Curry Leaves gave out a wonderful aroma. If stored properly, this Karuveppilai Podi stays good for months. Keep it refrigerated for longer shelf life. Trust me, nothing can beat the flavour & taste of this fresh homemade Curry Leaves Powder.

 For more recipes on SPICE POWDERS, Click here...

 Cuisine - South Indian

 Recipe Type - Spice Powder

 Spice Level - Medium-High

 Difficulty - Easy

 Yields - 1/2 - 3/4 Cup(Approximately)

 Author - SM

 Preparation Time - 5-10 Minutes

 Cooking & Grinding - 15-20 Minutes

To read about the HEALTH BENEFITS OF CURRY LEAVES, Click here...

HOW TO MAKE KARUVEPPILAI PODI - CURRY LEAVES POWDER

KARUVEPPILAI PODI - CURRY LEAVES POWDER

INGREDIENTS:

Curry Leaves - 1 Cup(tightly packed)

Bengal Gram Dhal(Chana Dhal) - 2 Tbspn

Black Gram Dhal(Urad Dhal) - 2 Tbspn

Dry Red Chillies 4-5 Nos.

Peppercorns - 1 Tspn

Cumin Seeds - 1 Tspn

Asafoetida - 1/4 Tspn

Tamarind - 1/2 Tspn

Salt - To Taste 

METHOD:

Preparation:

• Remove the Curry Leaves from the stalk.
• Wash it through running water and allow it to drain in a colander.
• Pat dry the Curry Leaves using a clean kitchen towel.
• Spread the Curry Leaves on a cloth and allow it to dry in the shade for 5-6 hours.
• The idea is to remove the moisture.
  

 For Karuveppilai Podi:

• Dry roast the Dry Red Chillies on a low flame until it pops and fluffs up and become hot.
• Add Peppercorns & Cumin Seeds to the above and roast until the cumin seeds splutter and turn fragrant.
• Add the Tamarind and roast it on a low flame for few minutes. 
• Add Asafoetida Powder and give a quick stir.  Fry this for a while.
  
• Remove the above ingredients from the pan and keep it aside.
• Add Bengal Gram Dhal/Chana Dhal and roast until it turns into golden brown. Transfer it from the pan and keep it aside.
• Then dry roast Black Gram Dhal/Urad Dhal until fragrant & it turns into a slightly reddish colour. Transfer it from the pan and keep it aside.
• Next, add the Curry Leaves and dry roast it on a low flame.
• Care should be taken not to brown the leaves. Once done leaves should break-off when it is crushed with the fingers. 
• Switch off the flame and allow it to cool.
• First, grind the Dhals & spices along with a dash of salt into a coarse powder using a mixer or a coffee grinder. 
• Then add the Curry Leaves and grind it again.
• Grind Karuveppilai Podi into a smooth/coarse powder. 
• Allow the Karuveppilai Podi/Curry Leaves Powder to cool off completely before storing it.
• Store it in a clean & dry airtight container.
• Keep it refrigerated for longer shelf life.
• Serve Karuveppilai Podi along with hot steaming rice along with a hearty drizzle of melted Ghee/Gingelly Oil. 

NOTES:

• Can dry the ingredients under the sun before preparing Karuveppilai Podi/Curry Leaves Powder.
• Adjust the number of Red Chillies to suit your spice level.
• While measuring the Curry Leaves make sure it is tightly packed into 1 Cup measurement. 
• Care should be taken not to burn the ingredients. It would spoil the taste of the Spice Powder.
• Roast all the ingredients on a low flame.
• Freshly roasted ingredients yield flavourful Karuveppilai Podi/Curry Leaves Powder.
• Store the Karuveppilai Podi/Curry Leaves Powder in an airtight container in a dry place.
• Do not use a wet spoon or wet hand while using the powder.