Usirikaya Podi / Karam | Amla Spice Powder

We love the Gooseberry and can eat just like that. I especially remember from childhood when we used to eat it and immediately drink water. The cool sweet feeling you get is simply awesome.

 

Gooseberry known as the Usirikai or Usirikaya in Telugu, Amla (Hindi), Nellikai (Tamil). We get two varieties in Tamil Nadu, I speak from personal experience as I have no knowledge if the other smaller version is available elsewhere in India. It's called Arai Nellikai. Arai (meaning half) Nellikai is much more tastier and easy to eat. I remember these trees from childhood when some of my friends had this at their place. The tiny gooseberry will be so good to eat just like that.

 

I have seen people pickling both the varieties. Though basically not being a pickle person myself, I have only eaten it as such. I am sure the pickle version tastes awesome too. This fruit basically being healthy finds its way as a rice and few other dishes. I always wonder at how I never end up blogging on certain ingredients.

 

So when I got a week's ration of this for Athamma, she decided to make a Karam with it. We refer to Karam to anything that's ground with Red chilies, made either as a wet or dry powder. It finds it's way to different dishes and takes up many forms.

 

This Usirikai Podi / Karam was very delicious with curd rice and I can assure you that you can just about have it with anything. Serve it with Idlis, Dosas, spread it on them, spread it on toasted bread. Just come out with many innovative ideas, you will surely end up with a tasty bite.

Usirikai Podi | Usirikaya Karam

 

Usirikai - 3 nos
Onion - 1 small
Garlic - 3 cloves
Oil - 3 tsp
Chili powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste

 

Seasoning

 

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves few

How to make Usirikaya Karam

 

Wash and pit the gooseberry. then cut into small pieces and grind along with onion, garlic raw.

 

Heat 3 tsp Oil in pan, add mustard, jeera, curry, allow it to pop. Then add the blended mix, sauté till the raw smell leaves.

 

Add chili powder, salt and continue cooking till oil comes on the sides.

 

Allow it to cool, can be stored in fridge.

 

Serve it with rice on the side or any Tiffin dishes.

 

 

This goes for my Condiment Mela.

Chinta Chiguru Podi | Spice powder made with Dried Tender Tamarind Leaves

Fresh tender Tamarind leaves are very famous for its tangy yet delightful taste it renders to anything that you make with it. These leaves finds itself placed in an important place in Andhra cuisine, with the leaves being used in varied forms as a dal with toor dal, Chutneys, Pulihora and finally a podi.

This condiment that's made with red chilies and kopra is the best you can assemble quickly to experience the leaves and also happens to be very simple to make.

Athamma who is known for her podis and chutneys, never miss a chance to store these leaves in it's different forms. She makes a variety of podis and chutneys with these tender leaves.

In this recipe, she has made use of the dried leaves that were shade dried and stored. She got these leaves last summer, washed and shade dried. The leaves were preserved in an air tight container to be used in different ways.

Recently she made this simple podi that makes a great combo with Dosas or Rice. When I took this for lunch along with pappu, none could identify that it was made with greens.

Chinta Chiguru Podi

Chintathaku / Tender Tamarind Leaves - 1 cup
Red Chilies - 7-8 nos
Kopra/ Dried Coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
Garlic cloves - 3 -4

Method to prepare:

Wash and shade dry the leaves.

Heat a pan, dry roast the leaves, Keep it aside. Then dry roast the kopra, finally red chilies.

Grind once it's all cooled along with salt.

Finally add garlic cloves and pulse it couple of times.

Spread it on a plate so that it gets to room temperature and also as we added garlic the condiment should be dry when we store it.

This spice powder stays good when stored well for over 10 days or more. If you refrigerate it can stay even longer. But frankly I have experimented for that long.

Other Spice Powders on Spice your Life!

Pudina Podi | Mint Spice powder

Gun powder is quite a common item in most Indian dining table. At least I think so in a typical Andhra home. Having grown up seeing various versions of each dish, one can't start to imagine the variety one can come up with. Amma always makes her famous podi.

Apart from that Athamma is know for her Podis and Chutneys. I always joke with her that, she can end up with a chutney or a podi with anything. This Pudina podi was something similar too. We had excess pudina on hand and not knowing what we can do with it, she ended up making this podi. It tasted great with Rice and of course with Dosa.

For it's nutritious value, one can eat these spice powders everyday if possible.

Today is the beginning of the Group 2 in Blogging Marathon. I have listed end of this post on who is going to do what. I have decided to take up Condiment as it's something I haven't done much.

Pudina Podi | Mint Spice powder

Ingredients Needed

Pudina leaves / Mint Leaves - 1 cup, tightly packed (can be little less too)
Kopra/ Dry coconut, grated - 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Red Chillies - 7- 8 nos

Method to prepare:

Wash and shade dry the mint leaves.

Once dry, fry the leaves in a pan. Keep it aside.

Grate the kopra and fry these next. Followed by the red chilies. Each has to be fried separately. Allow the ingredients to cool

Grind to a fine powder once all of them are cool.

Since the leaves tend to get wet after grinding, heat a pan with 1 tsp of oil and fry this ground powder to get a dry powder.

Store this in an air tight container for nearly 10 days.

Best way to serve this would be with Rice and ghee for taste. But as plain podi with Rice too it tastes great.
Increase your spice level by adding more chillies

Check out my Blogging Marathoners doing Group 2 BM#4 along with me:

Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ  
Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya
Seven Days of Soup: Ila, Smita P   
Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika, Padma Rekha 
Seven Days of Cakes:  Bhagyashri  
30 Minutes Meals: Archana    
Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli