My in-laws are from Andhra, while I'm from Telangana, and when I first tried Andhra style kandi podi with garlic, I instantly fell in love with its hot and garlicky flavor. It's a quick and easy recipe that involves roasting lentils, garlic, and spices before grinding them into a powder, which can be done in under 20 minutes at home.
For a finer texture, grind the lentil mixture completely, but for a coarser texture, set aside a portion before grinding and then mix it back in after grinding.
The garlic is used with the skin on to enhance the aroma and flavor, following the traditional method and I prefer to stick to her recipe for its delicious taste. why mess with something that tastes so good already?
🤫 A little secret - you can sprinkle this flavorful podi on top of any dry curry like (okra,aubergine,carrot,beans) as a finishing touch to add more texture and taste. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Toor Dal
- 1/2 cup Chana Dal
- 1/4 cup Urad Dal
- 1/4 cup Moong Dal
- 1 Tablespoon Cumin/Jeera Seeds
- 12 Dried Red Chillies
- 15 Garlic Pods
- Salt as needed
Preparation Method:
- In a thick bottomed kadai/pan, dry roast each of the dals – Toor, Chana, Moong and Urad separately until golden brown.
- In the same pan, dry roast red chillies and garlic pods (with skin) until they are fragrant.
- Next roast jeera for a minute or two.
- Let all these cool down completely. Blend into a smooth powder with salt as needed.
- Store in an air tight container and use a dry spoon. Serve a spoonful of this with hot rice and ghee oor sesame oil.