Sometimes, simple and less amount of ingredients, with less work, makes magic 
tastewise and even we too stick to its taste and use frequently and repeatedly ( Hope everyone agrees with me). Such one recipe is Idly Milagai Podi. “Idly Podi” or “Dosa / Dosai Podi” or “Ennai Podi” or “Idly Milagai Podi”, called out with varied names 
and with varied recipes, from home to home, state to state, is a spicy dry powder, made with a main combination of Black Gram and Dry Red Chilly, which is mixed with sesame oil, and used as a side dish (sometimes Ennai Podi becomes main dish for me and my son, we both love that much, mmmm….mouthwatering 
for me now itself!) , for Idli’s and Dosa’s (Hhhmmmm….. whooo…. completed the very long sentence anyhow!(LOL!) ).
Each and every recipe has an unique taste with unique texture with unique combos of ingredients, regarding this idli podi. Taste differs depending upon the texture, ingredients and way of preparation. Though everyone loves all kind of dosa podi’s, but they have been longing and loving the Idly Podi, made by their mom’s with her special touch. It may be because of, they have been attached to her recipe from childhood days or even may be because of that, SHE has added HER LOVE as a main ingredient, while making each and every dish for their kiddos. Let me share here such a recipe, which is not too spicy or too mild.
Ingredients:
| Black Gram / Ulutham Paruppu | 2 cups |
| Dry Red Chilly | 38(adjust according to your spicy level) |
| Asafetida | 2 tsp |
| Rock Salt | 1 tbsp |
Cooking Instructions:
Take 2 cups of Black Gram and fry it in a dry pan in m edium flame until the gram turns slightly red in color. Keep stirring it while frying, otherwise the gram in the bottom may burnt and turn black. Keep it aside in a plate.
Next, fry red chilly in the pan ( without removing the stem, to avoid unnecessary cough) in medium flame, until you see black spots here and there in chilly and it bulges slightly. Keep it aside in the plate along with Black Gram.
Dry both of these ingredients in sunshade for about 4 hours or half a day, or even a day, depending upon the weather. If the climate is really very hot, even 3 hours of drying it is also enough. After it is dried well, remove the stem of the chillies and discard it ( it will be easy to remove the stem after it is dried since the chilly would have turn crispy).
Now fry asafoetida in the pan in simmer flame for 1 or 2 minutes and keep it along with chilly and black gram. Then fry salt in sim flame just for few seconds, (to remove moisture in it), and mix it along with other items.
Now add all the items together in mixer jar and grind it until it is smooth or little coarse, depending upon our requirement. But, I use to grind it smooth, as my son Amii like that texture. Remove the mixture from the mixer jar and add it in a pan and mix well with a spatula or spoon and let the mixture to cool down for about 5 minutes.
Now, our Idly Milagai Podi is ready for use and to eat! Store it in an air tight container and it stays good for many more months. Enjoy it with idly or dosa, mixing along with sesame oil or even without oil! It tastes good with and without oil too!
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Deepa