Flax Seed Idli Podi (Flaxseed Chutney Powder)
Roasted flax seeds ground with urad dal, chana dal, chilli, sesame, tamarind, and jaggery into a small-batch flaxseed chutney powder for idli and dosa.
Equipment
- Kadhai or skillet
- Mixer jar or spice grinder
Ingredients
For the podi
- 1/2 cup flax seeds brown or golden
- 2 tablespoons urad dal
- 2 tablespoons chana dal
- 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 5 dry red chillies Byadgi or Kashmiri, stalks removed
- 8-10 curry leaves
- 2 garlic cloves optional
- 1/2 teaspoon tamarind pulp
- 1/2 teaspoon jaggery
- pinch hing
- 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
- 1 teaspoon oil
Instructions
Roast and cool
- Dry roast the flax seeds on medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes, stirring, until they start to pop and smell nutty. Tip onto a plate to cool.
- In the same pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil. Add urad dal and chana dal. Roast on low until golden. Transfer to the plate.
- Add coriander, cumin, sesame, and garlic if using. Roast on low until the spices smell aromatic and the sesame starts to pop.
- Add tamarind, dry red chillies, and curry leaves. Stir on low until the chillies turn crisp and the curry leaves are brittle. Transfer everything to the plate. Cool 10 minutes.
Grind
- Grind the cooled flax seeds to a fine powder. Empty the jar into a bowl.
- Add the dals, spices, chilli, curry leaves, hing, jaggery, and salt to the jar. Pulse to a coarse powder.
- Return the flax powder. Pulse once or twice to mix. Taste for salt and chilli. Cool completely, then jar.
Notes
Cool every ingredient before grinding. Warm flax dumps oil and the podi turns pasty.
Grind flax fine and the rest coarse. Fine flax is easier to eat. Coarse dal is what makes it taste like podi.
For no garlic, skip it and add a second pinch of hing.
For less heat, use 3 Kashmiri chillies. For more bite, add 1 Guntur or a pinch of chilli powder at the end.
Store in a clean, dry, airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Use a dry spoon.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!