Poondu Podi

Garlic podi divides people, and the ones who love it really love it.

The whole thing rests on how the garlic is treated. Raw or under-roasted, it turns bitter within a week and the whole batch is wasted. We roast the cloves slowly until the sharp edge burns off and what’s left is nutty and faintly sweet — then grind it with roasted dal and chilli.

Best use is the simplest one: sprinkle it over a dosa while it’s still on the tawa, add a spoon of gingelly oil, and fold. It also does good work stirred into hot rice with ghee, or over a plain curd rice when you want something with more bite than pickle.

Strong-smelling, as garlic podi should be. Keep the pouch sealed.

How to use: Sprinkle over dosa on the tawa with gingelly oil. Or mix into hot rice with ghee. Ingredients (verify): Garlic, urad dal, gram dal, dried red chilli, sesame seeds, salt, curry leaves. Shelf life: 4 months from packing. Refrigerate after opening for best flavour.