This recipe is called “Thenga podi” in South India
A hot and sour tastemaker with an intense flavour.
Yield: Approximately 1½ cups
Ingredients:
¼ cup dried white urad beans (dhulli urad dal), sorted
¼ cup grated or shredded dried coconut (kopra)
¼ cup ground coriander seeds
¼ cup ground jaggery (gur) or dark brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground asafoetida
½ cup dried yellow split chickpeas (channa dal), sorted
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1-inch ball of seedless tamarind pulp, broken into small bits
or 1 tablespoon tamarind powder
2 teaspoons peanut oil
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
7 to 10 dried red chili peppers, such as chili de arbol, broken
Directions:
In a moderate-sized cast-iron or non-stick wok or skillet,
mix and roast the dals, stirring and shaking the skillet over
moderate heat until a golden colour is achieved,
approximately two to three minutes. Move to a container.
In the same pan, put in the oil and stir-fry the red chili
peppers and tamarind until seems slightly darker,
approximately two minutes. Move to the container with the
roasted dal.
Still using the same pan, put in the coriander and coconut
and roast until seems slightly darker, two to five minutes.
Stir in the jaggery, salt, turmeric, and asafoetida, and roast
until the jaggery melts, approximately a minute or two. Stir
in the roasted dals, chili peppers and tamarind.
Allow to cool, then grind using a spice or coffee grinder until
crudely ground. Put inside an airtight vessel and place the
vessel in a cool, dark place, approximately three months in
the fridge or about an year in the freezer.
