To us South Indians, our everyday traditional food is incomplete with a podi (spice pwd) and its an an essential food item on the dining table, be it for breakfast or lunch. When one is hard pressed for time and you need fix a quick lunch, all you need to prepare is some steamed rice, and with clarified ghee/oil and podi, appadam/papad as a side, you have a complete meal.
Aromatic, protein rich and nutritious, podis are not high in calories and can be stored for a few weeks in air tight containers.
Today’s recipe is curry leaves spiced powder called Karivepaaku Podi or Karepaaku Podi, made from curry leaves, lentils and spices which are roasted and ground to a coarse powder with tamarind giving it an aromatic, earthy, tangy flavor.
Take a spoonful of the prepared podi and mix it with hot steamed rice and ghee and one bite into a mudda (ball) of this mixed rice, you are assured of a trip to heaven. The appetising aromatic meal of home ground karivepaku podi with rice and ghee is extremely addictive and I always go for another serving of it..:).