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Ellu Podi Recipe
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5 from 3 votes

Ellu Podi | Sesame Lentil Chutney powder

Ellu Podi recipe is a South Indian dry chutney powder made with black sesame seeds, lentils and dry red chilies. Also known as Ellu Idli Podi, this sesame lentil chutney is mixed with sesame oil and served with idli, dosa and uttapam.
Course accompaniments, Side Dish
Cuisine Indian, South Indian, Tamil Nadu Recipes
Keyword Black Sesame Seed recipes, Chutney recipes for breakfast, Dry chutney recipes, Ellu Podi, No Onion No Garlic Recipe, Podi Recipes, South Indian chutney recipes, winter recipes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Cooling time 10 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 250 gms
Author Vidya Narayan

Equipment

  • Mixer Grinder

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Black Sesame Seeds or Til
  • 3/4 cup Urad Dal or Split Black Lentils
  • 1/4 cup Chana Dal (Kadala Paruppu or Bengal Gram Dal)
  • 12 Whole Red Chillies See Notes Below
  • 1/4 teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida Omit this ingredient for gluten free recipe
  • Oil as required for roasting the ingredients
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • Heat a small pan and roast Urad Dal with few drops of sesame oil. Roast the dal until golden brown. Set this aside to cool in a bowl and place the pan back on the pan.
  • Repeat the process of roasting chana dal with few drops of sesame oil. Once the dal is fragrant and golden, set it aside to cool with urad dal.
  • To the hot pan, add black sesame seeds. Once they start spluttering, remove from heat and set it aside with the dal / lentils.
  • Next, roast red chilies with few drops of oil until they crisp up. Set this aside to cool with other ingredients.
  • Once the ingredients are cool, add to a mixer grinder jar. Add hing (asafoetida) and salt. Grind to a slightly coarse texture.
  • Cool the podi before transferring to an airtight container or glass jar.

Video

Notes

Ingredients - 
  • I have used spicy pondi chiles for the recipe. You can use Kashmiri Red Chilies or Byadgi. Feel free to adjust the quantity of chilies used. 
  • You can replace black sesame seeds with white sesame. You can also grind the chutney using 50% black / white as a variation. 
  • The exact quantity of oil is not mentioned in the recipe. Few drops of oil is used for roasting the lentils / chilies. I have used sesame oil for roasting. Feel free to opt for any neutral cooking oil. 
Storage / Shelf Life -
  • Once the podi is cool, transfer to an airtight container. Stays fresh up to a month. Store in a cool, dry place.
  • Black sesame seeds is an oil seed and it may tend to leave oil as time passes. This may affect shelf life.
  • If you are grinding a double batch, I would recommend storing the podi in the refrigerator for extended shelf life.