Karuveppilai Podi / Curry leaves Spice Powder | Side Dish for Idli Dosa

What is more fascinating than using fresh herbs straight from your garden? Well, nothing else in cooking I would say. Pick, wash, use. How easy and intriguing is that. Speaking of fresh herbs, curry leaves always plays a vital part in Indian cooking. 
Curry leaves is well known as Karuveppilai in Tamil and KariBevu in Kannada. Karu - Black/darkened; Veppilai - Neem leaves. Widely used as a flavor enhancer for food while seasoning, it also has its unique place in ayurvedic medicine. It has anti-diabetic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-oxidant properties and also rich in Iron. Did you know that it is good for the strength of your hair, taken both internally and applied as infused oil. Grandma used to prepare hair oil for us using pure coconut oil (organic and made at home by grinding dry coconuts aka copra), curry leaves and hibiscus leaves. And now we are talking about being "organic" as something rare and rich.

Ingredients:
Curry leaves - 2 cups - cleaned and tightly packed
Chana dhal - 3 tbsp
Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
Urad dhal - 1 tbsp
Moong dhal - 1 tbsp
Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/4 tsp
Red chillies - 7 or 8
Tamarind - a blueberry/gooseberry size (skip if you do not have)
Salt - to taste

Method:
Dry roast chana dhal, coriander seeds, urad dhal, moong dhal, pepper corns and asafoetida one by one. Let it cool in a plate. Add half a tsp of oil in the same skillet and roast the tamarind and add it to the cooling dhals. Add the curry leaves in batches to the same skillet and roast them until it becomes lightly toasted and becomes light in weight. Cool and grind everything together in a mixer grinder / blender with salt until fine. Serve with steamed rice with ghee or gingelly oil. Excellent pair for idlis and dosas or with some hot steamed rice and ghee.
Note: The curry leaves may get stuck in the mixer blades while grinding. If it happens, filter the spice powder with a sieve, add the curry leaf fiber again and rerun the mixer.

Sending this healthy, flavorful and aromatic powder to B2B - Dry podis event by Jaya, Flavors of South India event by Nayna and to Srivalli's Condiment Mela.


Also sending this to Akila's Dish Name Starts with K