Paruppu Podi

Instant rice mixes are the most wanted ones these days.If it is home made,then it will be preservative-free and nutritious too.Here comes the easy Paruppu podi recipe..

Ingredients:

1.Thoor dhal............1cup

2.Urad dhal..........2 tbsps

3.Dry red chillies.......5 to 8 nos

4.Hing........1/2 tsp

5.Black pepper......1/2 tsp

6.Salt to  taste

7.Garlic cloves..........10

8.oil.....few drops

Procedure:

1.Take a thick bottomed kadai,fry all ingredients (except salt and garlic cloves)with few drops of oil,till golden.Keep it aside.

2.Slit cut the garlic cloves,fry it separately with oil till golden.

3.Grind all together in a mixer to a fine powder.

4.This is ready to serve now.Have it with hot rice and ghee.Pappad n pickle are the best combination for this.

Rasam Powder

Rasam always has a special place in south indian meal.The measurement of spices is so important that even a slight variation may change the whole taste.My grandma always say "if u make 'the right-tasty' rasam,then u r a good cook",people in our place judge ones cooking by their rasam only :)!!Because it is tough to bring out the same right taste each time.This wonderful mix of spices is given by my grandmother,who is an expert in doing this.And here it comes...

Ingredients:

1.Coriander seeds.......1 cup(heap)

2.Dry red chillies.........26 to 30(according to the spice level)

3.Black pepper.......1/4 cup

4.Cumin seeds.......1/4 cup

5.Thoor dhal.......1/4 cup

6.Mustard seeds..........2 tbsps

Procedure:

There are 2 ways of doing this.

First Method:

Simply dry all the ingredients together under the sun for 3 to 5 hours.Grind it well to a powder.

The other method:

During winter u wont get good sun light,or if u don have access to terrace,First method is not possible.The other method will help here.

Heat a Thick bottomed kadai on flame,First fry red chillies with few drops of oil.Switch off the flame.Put rest of the ingredients into the kadai and saute it for few times and let it cool down.Grind it to a semi-fine powder.

My grandma always says that rasam powder should not be a fine powder(her mother's tip)!!