HOW TO USE THE HUMBLE GUNPOWDER/ PODI /IDLI CHUTNEY POWDER

In a traditional home in Southern India, Gunpowder is eaten with rice and ghee. It’s also eaten with dosa and idli, mixed with hot sesame oil. Some families love it with rotis and chapatis too. Chutney Powders are used to tweak dishes as well. For example, when making tawa vegetables or cooking a dish in a kadhai, you can sprinkle podi made with peanuts over  it for added flavour, after the dish is ready.

Some people even eat it on toast by replacing the bland butter, smearing a bit of ghee and Podi, and some also sprinkle sugar along with it.

Another way to use Gunpowder is to add it into upma (which made with semolina) for added heat, flavour and yumminess.

Another fun way is to toss mini idlis in a wok with some hot oil or ghee, and then add to it, some Podi, mix gently and coat the idlis well. This works as an instant midday snack. The Gunpowder or Podi or Chutney Powder, is a spicy aromatic powder, is a favourite for train journeys, picnics and holiday travel by car or buses, by carrying idlis coated with Gunpowder.

As the day continues, and the Podi spices are getting absorbed in the idlis, the flavour of each idli is magnified. Infact, some families love idli podi, not fresh, but that’s been left out for 3-4 hours packed in their office dabbas or school tiffin. The modern way of eating Gunpowder is with salads and pulao. The foundation of each recipe remains the same: add to any dish to amp up the flavour profile. And true to its glorious history, that’s exactly what the Podi does:- it smartens up and straightens up almost any dish out there that needs zing and flavour. It’s so delicious, it’s even popular with NRI’s and foreigners who want to learn how to make it and include it in many of their meals. Did you ever wanted to know the story of the Indian Gunpowder, read it here. Also, get to know the right combination of health and taste, read it here.