Podi Idli (Idli à la « Poudre à Canon »)

In a dry 8-inch (20 cm) pan with no oil, over medium-low heat, toast the urad dal and chana dal for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until golden. Add the sesame seeds, dried chilies and curry leaves, and toast 2 more minutes until the sesame seeds start to pop.

• 3 tbsp urad dal
• 3 tbsp chana dal
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 8 dried red chilies
• 10 curry leaves

✅ C'est prêt quand : lentils are golden and sesame seeds start to pop

Let the toasted mixture cool completely, about 10 minutes, then grind it with the jaggery and salt in a blender or spice grinder. Pulse in short bursts until you get a coarse powder, not a fine paste; it keeps for weeks in a sealed jar.

• all of it toasted mixture from step 1
• 1 tsp jaggery
• ½ tsp salt

✅ C'est prêt quand : mixture is a coarse, gritty powder, not a paste