Ingredients
Method
- Dry roast the urad and chana dal separately on low heat until golden and fragrant.
- Roast the chillies until crisp, then the sesame seeds and curry leaves.
- Cool everything completely, then grind with asafoetida, salt and jaggery to a coarse powder.
- Store in an airtight jar for up to a month. Serve mixed with sesame oil or ghee alongside idli and dosa.
The spices that matter
Fried in tempering with mustard seeds and curry leaves for poha, upma, lemon rice and chutneys.
No split black gram (for tempering)? Chana dal.
Fried whole in tempering for dal, sambar, chutneys and pickles, or roasted and ground into masalas.
No dried red chillies? Red chilli flakes.
Used in chikki, til laddoo for Makar Sankranti, chutneys and some South Indian podis.
No sesame seeds? Sunflower seeds.
Nice to have
The blend to use
Milagai podi (gunpowder): A coarse lentil, sesame and chilli powder, nicknamed “gunpowder”.
Salt, oil or ghee, onions, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs are assumed. See how to make a tadka for the order to add whole spices.
Frequently asked questions
How long does idli with gunpowder take to make?
About 5 minutes to prepare and 15 minutes to cook.
What spices are in idli with gunpowder?
The essentials are split black gram (for tempering), dried red chillies, sesame seeds. Nice to have: asafoetida.
Tips from travellers
Use Idli with gunpowder differently at home? Share your tip. The first good one goes right here.