Thengai Podi is a a dry Powder (podi) prepared with coconut(Thengai) and freshly roasted and ground spice mix. It taste good with rice and tiffin vareity. Coconut powder can be prepared within 10 minutes and stays good for months.
Growing up I have seen Amma breaking the thengai and grating. Seeing the efforts she put, I use to ask why can’t you skip coconut. She says food taste will differ. I use to think how a ingredient can do it. After I started cooking I realized what she said is true. Now I always have coconut in stock.
Coconut adds a magical touch to any food. I am a big fan of coconut flavour. Anything with thengai makes the food extra special. Almost everyday Amma adds coconut in one of the dishes she prepares.
After moving to US I was looking for fresh coconut in Indian store. Jagadish asked me where will you break it, I said outside our apartment. He smiled and replied cop might come and offer you help😂 Seeing the complication in braking it and grating. I started buying frozen coconut. It saves lot of time for eveyday cooking.
Whenever Amma travels out of station she always prepared thengai podi, curry leave podi, Paruppu podi, onion thokku, Tomato Thokku and Pulikaichal. These will be handy for us. We keep rice and mix it, lunch problem solved😊
Usaully Amma courier all powders from India. I will have them in stock. When I am sick or if I feel lazy we will attack our pantry and take one podi and have it for lunch. If she send me big packet I have freezed it in freezer safe ziplock box/bag with label and used for months. Keep small portion outside in airtight container for our podi. Podi kept outside won’t stay good for a longtime
When Amma came for my delivery. I told her to make all the podi and had it now and then. I saw the procedure and noted down the recipe. Usually thengai podi is prepared with fresh coconut, but after my seemandham (baby shower) she even prepared this podi with copra (dry coconut).
For working women this podi is handy. Coconut podi can be prepared during weekend or free time and stock it up. During busy morning you can keep rice and mix this podi with sesame oil. Lunchbox tension is gone😊
Other podi varieties in TMF,
Like idli milagai podi, thengai podi can also be missed with oil and taken for idli/dosa. It tastes great with Bagala bath.
Try Beans Thengai Podi usili with Thengai Podi
Thengai Podi |Coconut Powder
Ingredients
- Coconut - 1 cup
- Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
- Channa Dal - 1/3 cup
- Red Chilli – 7 Adjust according to your taste
- Salt – as needed
- Asafoetida- 1/8 tsp
Instructions
- In a pan dry roast urad dal, channa dal and red chilli till they turn golden brown. Transfer it to a plate. Dry roast the coconut till it turns golden brown color. Switch off the flame and Keep it aside. Add required salt and pinch of asafoetida
- After everything comes to room temperature grind them into coarse powder. Cool it and store in dry airtight container, and always use a dry spoon
Notes
- Instead of fresh/Frozen coconut, dry coconut can also be used
- If you are using katti perungayam add it while sauting dal
- Roast dal and coconut well for the podi to stay fresh
- Instead of using both urad and Channa dal, this can also be done with either urad dal or channa dal alone
- Thaw the frozen coconut before using
Ingredients:
Coconut – 1 cup
Urad Dal – 1/4 cup
Channa Dal – 1/3 cup
Red Chilli – 7 (Adjust according to your taste)
Salt – as needed
Asafoetida- 1/8 tsp
Method:
- In a pan dry roast urad dal, channa dal and red chilli till they turn golden brown
- Transfer it to a plate
- Dry roast the coconut till it turns golden brown color, Switch off the flame and Keep it aside
- Add required salt and pinch of asofedtida
After everything comes to room temperature grind them into coarse powder. Cool it and store in dry airtight container, and always use a dry spoon
This is very handy Vidya..will prepare it for sure..
Thanku Subha:-) do try and let me know
Never tried fresh coconut in podi, sounds yummmmm dear. … love it…
Thanku C:-) Amma do with both fresh and dry coconut.
A staple in our house.. yum
Thanku Sri:-)
Sounds really delicious, have never heard of this before. It’s served on it’s own or added to rice dishes? Love all the ingredients.
Thanku Suzanne:-) its served with rice
It seems so interesting…it looks like the cous cous but I believe it is different right?
Thanku:-) yes its different. We have it as rice accompaniment or side dish
It looks so interesting to me
Thanku:-)
I made some too, recently. I just love it!
Nice:-)
I have to say it looks not only very healthy but also really tasty 🙂
Thanku Marta:-)
yum! Looks so nourishing 🙂
Thanku Liz:-)
this is such a great idea Vidya! I love it!
Thanku:-)
Wow! Such a super easy recipe! Thank you Vidya 🙂 Will try for sure!
Thanku Sindhu:-) do try and let me know
This sounds like a wonderful spice blend with all the lovely flavours incorporated together.
Mum’s always think of what we may need and without even asking for it, they send it. That’s true love. Vidya thank you so much for sharing such a lovely recipe for Mother’s Day collection.
the story of the coconut made me laugh. My Mom is from the Caribbean and I grew up in NYC. My Mom used to go in the courtyard of our building and open the coconuts with a machete and the neighbors would look at her like she was nuts