Paruppu Podi - பருப்பு பொடி - Dhal mix for rice / Step by step

      Paruppu podi is a very special powder, to mix with the rice. In Chennai, there is a very famous store called " Ambiga Appalam Depot " - T.nagar. My H is an ardant fan of that powder. Whenever ,we go for vacation, he used buy in bulk . There are days, where he or his dad will go hunt for this store in "Tambaram".  In that store, not only paruppu podi, there are appalam, instant mixes and so many powders, he will buy. I ran out if this podi, now. So started preparing my own paruppu podi now. It smells yumm, when we add the powder to the rice along with sesame oil or ghee. When we come back home , after a long day, this powder comes handy. Just rice and papad will go together. To this powder, we can also add some garlic pods and curry leaves and grind. It will give a nice aroma to the powder.

Preparation time : 5 minutes
Cooking time : 5 minutes
Grinding time : 5 minutes
Yield : 100 gm approx


Ingredients:
1.Toor dal - 1/2 cup
2.Red chillies - 4 to 5
3.Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
4.Hing - a pinch
5.Roasted gram (pottukadalai) - 2 tbsp
6.Oil - 1 tsp
7.Salt - as needed

Method:
* Take the ingredients needed and keep it ready.

* Take a pan, add oil. When the oil is hot, add all the ingredients  . Roast them till, the dal turns golden brown. Add hing at last.

* Grind the ingredients to a fine powder. Now add the roasted gram and salt. Grind it well.

* Store this powder in air tight container and store in a cool,dark palce. Serve it with white rice ,with a dallop of oil or ghee. Pappad goes well with this podi rice.

Notes:
* We can also add 2 to 4 garlic pods and some curry leaves. It will give a nice flavour and punch to the powder.
* Paruppu podi stays fresh for almost a month, when stored properly.
* We can also add some chana dal to the mix. I didn't add any.