Thengai Podi | Coconut Podi for Idli Dosa
Thengai Podi is a delicious South Indian Dry Chutney or Condiment made with fresh grated Coconut, Lentils and red chillies for the spice. This chutney can be consumed with breakfast as side dish or accompaniment. This podi is mixed with Ghee or clarified butter or Nalla Ennai (Sesame Oil) and smeared on piping hot idlis.
Servings 1 cup as shown
Equipment
- Mixer Grinder
- Coconut Grater
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cup Fresh Grated Coconut
- 1/3 cup Urad Dal
- 1 tablespoon Chana Dal
- 15-16 Whole dry red chilies (combination of kashmiri red chilies and pondi chilies)
- ¼ teaspoon Hing or Asafoetida
- 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
- 1 Marble Size Tamarind
- 1 tablespoon Jaggery
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat a pan, add oil. add urad Dal and Chana Dal. Sauté the lentils on medium-low flame and let it roast until fragrant.
- To the lentils, add dry red chilies and saute until the lentils have browned / roasted and the chilies have crisped up.
- Remove on a plate / bowl and allow it to cool.
- Place the pan back on the heat and add coconut. Saute until it appears light brown and fragrant. Note - It takes couple of minutes to roast fresh coconut. Ensure it does not burn.
- Switch off the heat, remove roasted coconut onto a plate / bowl and let it cool.
- Once cool, add the ingredients to a mixer grinder jar. Add tamarind, hing or asafoetida, salt to taste and jaggery.
- Pulse the ingredients until it forms a coarse texture.
- Allow thengai podi to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Notes
1 cup is 250ml, 1 tablespoon 15ml, 1 teaspoon 5 ml
Ingredients & Substitutes
Coconut - I have used Fresh Coconut for this recipe. If using frozen coconut, thaw it completely before roasting. You can use desiccated coconut or dry coconut if you don't have access to fresh coconut. Taste check and use desiccated coconut. It may taste and smell rancid especially when stored for long.
Roast the coconut on low heat. Ensure it is light brown and fragrant. Do not over-roast or burn. It spoils the taste of the podi.
Tamarind - Use seedless tamarind.
Whole dry red Chilies - I have used a combination of Kashmiri Red chili and Pondi chilies (South Indian variety). The former is for color and latter for heat.
Jaggery - It is added to balance heat from red chili and sourness from tamarind. Quantity will depend on the variety of tamarind used. Always taste and add accordingly.
Hing or Asafoetida - skip this ingredient for a gluten-free recipe
Sesame Oil to Roast lentils and chilies. Substitute with any neutral flavor cooking oil.
Shelf Life / Storage - Thengai Podi stays fresh for a week at room temperature. Under refrigeration, it stays fresh for a month. Use a clean, dry spoon to scoop the chutney from the jar.