5 ingredients in milagai powder
Everyone has their own specific blend and ratios for milagai podi but here is insight on the ingredients I choose for my podi. It is important for you to understand what each ingredient brings to the table so you can tweak this recipe to your liking. One thing to note is that a popular ingredient in milagai podi is sesame seeds. However, this milagai podi recipe is one without sesame seeds. The reasons are that sesame seeds often go rancid fairly quickly and some folks have allergies to them. However, you can totally add some to this blend to add a sesame flavor to the mix.
Split and hulled urad dal and chana dal - Both of these dals add a nuttiness and crunchy texture to the final podi. Whole dried red chilis (Like Indian Guntur chilis or chile de arbol) - Add a fiery heat to the podi. Reduce this if you like a milder flavor. If you want a redder podi, you can use Kashmiri chilis, but the flavor would be very mild compared to using these chilis. Curry leaves - Curry leaves add a citrusy and herbal flavor that can’t be substituted. Asafetida - Asafetida often goes hand in hand with recipes that call for dal. This powder is said to help you easily digest dal. It also adds an onion-y and garlic-y taste to the podi.
Tips on toasting chilis and dal
Toasting your chilis and dal is crucial to making a delicious milagai podi. When whole spices are toasted, they release their aromatic oils and make their flavors more pronounced. Skipping this step will create a spice blend that is dull and will not utilize the potential of the spices’ flavors.
Individually toast lentils and chilis. It is very important to toast spices individually because thicker lentils like chana dal take a longer time to fully toast while the thinner lentils like split urad dal toast fairly quickly. Rely on senses rather than the strict timings listed in the recipe. Indicators that the lentils are done toasting are when you can smell their aromatic scent, when you can see them brown, or when you can hear them popping in the pan. The timings are more of a rough estimate and can vary depending on the type of pan used and the temperature settings of your stove. Toast spices on medium to medium-high heat. Toasting the spices and lentils at any higher heat can cause them to burn. When toasting lentils and chilis for milagai podi, dry toast the spices. Dry toasting means that the spices are simply toasted on the pan with no added oils or fats. Constantly move spices around to ensure browning on all sides. If spices burn, start over or else the milagai podi will have a bitter and burned final taste.
Tips on grinding milagai podi
Allow lentils and chilis to cool before grinding. Skipping this step can cause steam in the spice grinder, which can sometimes pop off the lid or cause condensation in the spice blend. Condensation drastically reduces the shelf life of the milagai podi. Grind the urad dal and chana dal more coarsely and the chilis more finely. One trademark of delicious milagai podi is the crunchy elements in the podi. This is why it is important to grind the dals separately so they can have a coarser texture while the chilis can be ground down to a fine texture. Don’t overstuff the spice grinder; instead, grind lentils in batches. There is a lot of dal in this recipe and often American spice grinders can’t handle the volume. Always batch grind the spices or lentils to ensure that the grinder can efficiently grind the spices. Do not smell or sniff the freshly ground spices when you open the spice grinder. This spice blend has chilis, and the chilis when freshly ground are potent and cause irritation in the nose and eyes. Tap the spice grinder lid to push the spices into the grinder when opening it, to prevent powder from flying around and being wasted. If you are using a mortar and pestle to grind the milagai powder, take care to grind the spices in small batches. Make sure to use a series of smash motions (up/down) as well as rotating circular motions to really help break down the spices.
Shelf life and storage tips
It is best to allow the milagai podi to fully cool before storing it away. Store in a cool, dark, airtight container for the longest shelf life. Milagai podi is most flavorful within six months of grinding.
