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:

  1. In a thick bottomed kadai/pan, dry roast each of the dals – Toor, Chana, Moong and Urad separately until golden brown.
  2. In the same pan, dry roast red chillies and garlic pods (with skin) until they are fragrant.
  3. Next roast jeera for a minute or two.
  4. Let all these cool down completely. Blend into a smooth powder with salt as needed.
  5. Store in an air tight container and use a dry spoon. Serve a spoonful of this with hot rice and ghee oor sesame oil.