Gun Powder Recipe (Paruppu Podi, Kandi Podi)

Ingredients

• ½ cup (100 grams) toor dal (split pigeon peas or use ¼ each toor & moong dal/ yellow skinned moong lentils)
• ¼ cup (50 grams) chana dal (Bengal gram or substitute with roasted chana dal/ fried gram)
• 1 tablespoon (7 grams) cumin seeds
• 10 (20 grams) dried red chilies (I use byadgi, deseeded if required)
• 4 medium (5 grams) garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 to 2 sprig curry leaves (optional, pat dry to remove moisture)
• ¾ teaspoon sea salt (adjust to taste, start with ½ tsp)

Steps

How to make Spicy Gunpowder

1. Dry-roast red chilies in a heavy pan over medium heat until slightly crisp and pungent-smelling. Do not burn them; remove to a plate.
2. Roast toor dal over medium heat until aromatic and evenly golden brown, about 6 to 7 mins. Move it onto the plate separately from the chilies. Roast the chana dal in the same way and transfer to the plate.
3. Dry-roast curry leaves and garlic for 3 to 4 mins, until the leaves are crisp. Add cumin seeds and toast to fragrant, which takes a minute. Stir in salt and cool completely.
4. Grind chilies, garlic, curry leaves, salt and cumin seeds finely first. Add the lentils and grind to a fine powder in intervals, scraping the sides as needed. The lentils prevent a super-fine powder; a very slightly grainy texture is preferred.
5. Cool completely before storing in an airtight steel or glass jar. Serve as a side with a South Indian meal, or mix with hot rice and ghee to eat at the start of the meal.