A Smattering Of Spice
Text by Chandrika R Krishnan
Made of roasted lentils and spices, podis are a valuable and flavourful source of protein for vegetarians. Photo courtesy: Anjana Narayan
It was a cold winter night in Lucknow. After I had managed to coax my toddler to bed, I settled under a quilt, cozy and snug, looking forward to some precious ‘me time’ with my book. This is when the doorbell rang to announce the arrival of my husband’s cousin, his tone and smile an unspoken apology for the late hour. His work-related travel plans were always sudden and since this was the pre-mobile phone era, his visits were usually unannounced.
Most Indians are familiar with the adage ‘athithi devo bhava’, which means ‘guests are equal to God’. It was certainly the maxim that my mother-in-law lived by. Her love for cooking and hosting guests was well known. Only married for two years at the time, I had already seen many acquaintances drop by our home, only to walk out as friends for life after she had cooked a meal for them.
Within minutes of welcoming our visitor, we rustled up piping hot rice and offered him an array of podis (or spice powders) to choose from. The choices before him were tantalising: on the one hand, there was a crunchy coconut podi, made of roasted coconut pounded with roasted urad dal (black gram) and chillies. On the other was a mildly bitter angaya podi, a digestive spice powder made from the flowers of the neem tree and sundakkai (or dried turkey berries), roasted until deep red and ground with red chillies, salt and curry leaves. A good pinch of asafoetida makes this podi deeply flavoursome.
In all four South Indian languages, podi translates to pounded or crushed. These aromatic powders are usually made of dry roasted lentils, and flavoured with spices such as pepper, cumin and red chillies. Traditionally prepared at home and stored in earthenware jars or glass bottles, they are usually eaten with rice and a dollop of ghee. The most popular among all podis is milagai podi or chutney podi as it is also known. As an accompaniment to idlis and dosas, this powder can add a jolt of spice. That’s why its most popular sobriquet is ‘gunpowder’. Other podis include paruppu podi (made of tuvar dal or pigeon peas), karivepaku podi (made of curry leaves), yellu podi (made of roasted sesame seeds), raw plantain podi, and podis made of mint and coriander leaves. In recent times, mundakathan podi or balloon vine powder is gaining popularity as it is widely touted to help mitigate arthritic pain.
Podis may have come about as a byproduct of natural methods of sun-drying and preservation. Photo courtesy: Anjana Narayan
All these powders have a few principal ingredients that bind them, the most important of these being lentils and spices. Most podis are made of either tuvar or urad dal or a combination of both. The spices used are also the products of various parts of the plant such as pods, seeds, buds, stamen, leaves and bark. “Podis were what one [could] call reserve material taken from plants around us,” explained Padmini Natrajan, a culinary editor, author and independent writer. “When there was a kitchen crisis [such as] not enough [wooden] logs or damp ones and making freshly cooked dal would be time consuming, the podis or powders made from various ingredients came in handy as an accompaniment to the main course of white rice and ghee. These recipes handed down through generations made good use of all available resources.”
As Natrajan explained, abundantly available fresh produce such as curry leaves, coriander leaves and other seasonal greens were dehydrated and made into powders. Gourds such as bottle gourd, ridge gourd and chayote squashes were chopped and dried in the sun. They were then roasted with urad dal and peanuts, spiced with red chillies or black pepper and powdered. “Vegetarians needed a daily fix of proteins and thus, these lentils provided them with an instant [fix]. Moreover, in large joint families, these [podis] turned out to be economical as well,” explained Natarajan.
Apart from being a convenient source of protein, podis may also have been a natural byproduct of traditional systems of preservation. Food blogger and cookbook author Dr Nandita Iyer says that podis may have been created because of practical reasons. Anything with moisture would spoil easily in the days before refrigeration, while these powders would stay fresh for longer.
Across India, one can find regional variations of these podis. “Metkut in Maharashtrian cuisine is similar to Tamil parippu podi,” Iyer said. “While methia masala is more of a pickling spice in Gujarati cuisine, which is used to toss raw mangoes or other vegetables, and even to add flavour to dishes like dal and muthias.” Another kind of podi that is beloved both in western and southern India is peanut powder. Made of roasted peanuts, garlic and spices and eaten with rice or rotis, it is both nutritious and flavourful.
According to Dharni Krishnan, a dietitian associated with the Indian Dietetic Association and host of a YouTube food show called Dharini Krishnan’s Easy Diet, these powders made from lentils, pulses and edible leaves are rich in nutrients such as proteins, Vitamin A, calcium, iron and fibre as well as phytonutrients, flavonoids and antioxidants. In the olden days, lentils were spread out under the tropical sun and the leaves washed and dried in shade. Apart from helping retain as much nutrition as possible, this method of sun drying also resulted in longer shelf life.
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As proof that podis are an inseparable part of South Indian cuisines, children flying the nest for the first time are armed with a good selection of these homemade powders. When I first visited America, I played the role of an interpreter between an immigration official and a Telugu-speaking woman who knew no English. The official wanted to know if she was carrying any leaves and fruits other than the powder or pickle variety (of which she had plenty).Sarada, my homemaker friend who has her hands full with caregiver duties, swears by the kandi pappu powder with four varieties of lentils, khara or spicy chutney and puttani podi (or roasted Bengal gram powder) that keep her sane. “Some of the powders have a shelf life of six months but even if they are consumed faster than usual, I still have some breathing space,” she said. “As they are [equally] loved by everyone, my life is indeed easier thanks to these podis.”
A selection of podis from Podi By Shobhaa. Photo courtesy: Anjana Narayan
Podis are enjoying newfound popularity in pandemic times. Last year, when India went into a months-long lockdown to fight the first wave of COVID-19, several entrepreneurs ventured into the podi business. Pune based food columnist and writer Shobhaa Narayan was one such entrepreneur, who started a venture called Podi By Shobhaa. “The thought of starting my own business was always there even before the pandemic, but I never took the time to streamline my energy to make it come to life,” she said. “I got the much needed time and space to grow this brand from scratch during the lockdown period of the pandemic.”
Narayan grew up watching her mother and grandmother spend hours making the perfect podi blends. “The beauty of having this versatile podi is the convenience it brings to your kitchen,” said Narayan. “It’s wonderful for sudden hunger pangs or when you have last minute guests at your place.” In addition to being mixed with rice to make a quick-fix main, podis are also a delicious accompaniment to idlis and dosas, and can even be sprinkled over vegetables. Podi by Shobhaa currently has a few popular blends, such as karuvepillai (or curry leaf) podi, paruppu podi and milagai podi.
Apart from idlis and dosas, podis add flavour to virtually anything, including toast and instant noodles. Photo by Sameer Gaffer
Mother-daughter duo Aparna and Anasuya Nadig also started a venture called Rasa & Co. during the pandemic. Based in Bengaluru, their repertoire includes a popular chutney podi. Aparna says that people are looking for new ways to eat traditional foods. So she encourages them to sprinkle chutney podi on avocado toast or on peanut butter over toast. “The other day, I received a message that the ever popular chutney powder goes well with Maggi noodles!” she laughed, happy that this traditional recipe from her grandmother has found a new lease of life. She prefers using local products, sun drying the ingredients for longer shelf life, and grinding the podis fresh to order.
Why have podis found renewed favour recently? Chennai-based Girija Patti, a septuagenarian grandmother who helms a very popular business in podis, pickles, snacks and sweets, attributes it to three reasons. “People have started exploring the world of e-commerce and the procurement of groceries has never been easier,” she said. “Secondly, increased awareness of the goodness of naturally made food has made [processed] products that use hydrogenated fats lose their sheen. Moreover, working from home and having lesser access to domestic help has made people prefer homemade and handmade products.” In addition to their arsenal of popular podis, Girija patti and her team introduced garlic karuvepillai podi during the pandemic. She says this was well-received by their patrons because it has the goodness of curry leaves along with the immunity boosting properties of garlic.
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In my own home, a few months ago, my husband walked in like Malcolm’s soldier holding a bunch of curry leaves. He had bought them from a local vendor who was trying to make ends meet. The deeply aromatic leaves of this semi-tropical tree add fragrance and flavour to any dish. I decided to make curry leaf podi with urad dal, red chillies and some peppercorns. My husband uses it liberally whenever he cooks, and his favourite use of it is to add a spoonful to buttermilk (or diluted, whisked and spiced curd). Ten months on, the podi is as fresh as the day it was made.
Other podi lovers have also discovered their versatility at a time when grocery shopping is risky and lockdowns mean restricted access to fresh ingredients. Besides, for many, podis evoke memories of warmth and safety. “The smell of the podi with the ghee brings back memories of the various podis my grandmother would make,” said Devika Ramarathnam, an entrepreneur based in Bengaluru. “These podis were her signature dish and I started relishing it during these pandemic days.”
Thirty years of marriage and a decade after my mother-in-law’s demise, the resurgence of podis reminds me of the Kurt Vonnegut quote: “You can’t just eat good food. You’ve got to talk about it too. And you’ve got to talk about it to somebody who understands that kind of food.” The club of podi lovers is clearly growing. It may not be long before I also add podi to noodles or toast. There has been no better time to add a twist to an age-old taste.
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