Gunpowder or milagai podi is spicy powdered chutney that is prepared by perfectly blending spices like roasted chana dal, roasted urad dal, sesame seeds ,lots of dry red chillies, curry leaves and many other spices. This coarse spice powder originated and is quite popular in South india.

Gun Powder is a taste enhancer which enhances the taste of any food item served with it. It is also called Milagai Podi or Malaga Podi or Idli podi or Chutney Podi. The gunpowder got its name because of the use of a lot of dry red chilies which increase the hotness and spiciness in spicy powdered mix. Gunpowder is so spicy that it creates a feeling of explosion in the mouth with a burst of different flavours.

Gunpowder enhances the taste of Idli, Dosa, ghee rice etc. Many people in South india apply this gunpowder inside the dosa or they will fry button idlis in ghee, mustard seeds, curry leaves and then sprinkle this gunpowder on ghee fried idlis. Some people eat this gunpowder with ghee rice and some use it to mix this gunpowder ( by making it more fine) while making curries or Poriyal.

Here in this blog I used a simple method of making Gunpowder that involves two main processes that is Roasting and Grinding. Roast all the ingredients and then grind it. I have used sesame seeds in making this gunpowder but you can also use roasted peanuts(without skin) also, instead of sesame seeds. Both the ways gunpowder tastes Wow!!

Here is how to make this Gun Powder

Ingredients

• ¼ cup White Urad dal / washed Black gram dal
• ¼ cup Yellow Chana Dal
• ¼ cup White sesame seeds/ White Til
• 10-12 Dry Red Chillies
• 30-35 Fresh Curry Leaves
• ½ tsp Turmeric Powder
• ½ tsp Hing
• Salt to taste

Recipe Steps {#recipe}

1. Take a fry pan and dry roast white urad dal and chana dal for 2 minutes until the light brown patches appear on the dal. Transfer both the roasted dal in a bowl.
2. Dry roast sesame seeds in the same hot pan for less than a minute and transfer it in a bowl.
3. Dry roast the dry red chillies on hot pan for 1-2 minute.
4. Dry roast curry leaves for less than a minute.
5. Take a grinder jar. Add roasted sesame seeds, roasted chana dal, roasted urad dal, roasted dry red chillies, roasted curry leaves, turmeric powder, hing and salt to taste in the grinder jar. Grind it. Gun Powder is ready.
6. Transfer the freshly grind gunpowder in airtight containers. This gun powder can be used and stored safely for 15 days.

You can sun dry each of the ingredients except turmeric powder and hing for at least 2 hours . After the sun dry you can dry roast the ingredients and then grind it. You can skip the sun drying process also. Sun dry process only ensures that masala prepared after grinding can last longer.

Don’t roast the ingredients for a long time because roasting ingredients for a longer time can cause loss of flavours and aromas from ingredients.

Tags

gunpowder foodyindianmom milagi podi roasted dry dal chutney spicy taste enhancer idli dosa malaga podi idli podi southindian masala spices ghee button idli gunpowder GheeIdli lentils curryleaves roasted dals urad dal chana dal sesameseeds