Pudina Podi | Mint flavored spice mix - Vegan & GF

 Mint or pudina is a very flavorful and aromatic herb with a lot of medicinal benefits.  Pudina / mint aids in digestion and helps in preventing flatulence and acidity.  It is also used as a mouth freshner and keeps us free from bad breath . Preparing a concoction of pudina leaves helps in managing indigestion. 

Indian cooking makes use of pudina in a variety of ways .Biryanis , gravies and  pulao are always flavored with this delicious herb and the taste is absolutely delectable. In South indian cooking, pudina is widely used in chutneys, podis and thuvayals (thick form of chutney).

I have already given the recipe of Pudina Thogayal , a typical recipe in a Tamil home on my blog.  Pudina flavored buttermilk is another lip smacking drink which is very soothing after a heavy festive meal . It can be savored on a hot sunny day to keep the body cool and hydrated . If you are a pulao loving person, then you must try out my Chutney Pulao and serve it with some thick chilled yogurt .

I frequently make pudina parathas and also pudina podi  in winter when fresh mint is available in abundance.  This week when Aruna suggested the theme for the 278th Foodie Monday Bloghop event as #SpiceMixSecrets , it was then that I realized how silly of me to have missed to blog this lipsmacking spice mix which is a regular in my pantry . Head to Aruna's blog for some authentic tongue tickling Andhra special recipes and donot miss to check on the traditional Gongura Pulihora on her blog .

Pudina podi can be served with idlis , dosas , spread on rotis with a generous spread of ghee or mix it with piping hot rice and enjoy it as the first course of your lunch.  I am sure it will tickle your taste buds and increase your appetite to enjoy the rest of your meal.  

Make sure you use only fresh pudina as when the leaves begin to wilt they will start to turn bitter.  Also, donot over roast or grind the mint leaves too much because it will start releasing the oil and the taste will be very different and not as desired . You will just have to pulse the roasted pudina to ensure that you don't go over board grinding the leaves .

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Preparation Time - 15 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins
Complexity - simple
Serves - 3 to 4 

Ingredients 

1/2 cup udad dhall /black gram /ulutham paruppu 
2 handfuls cleaned pudina leaves 
4 to 5 byadgi chillies  or 2 to 3 guntur chillies 
1 tsp pepper corns
Salt as  needed 
Pinch of asafoetida (skip for Gluten-free)
1/4 tsp sugar 
1 tsp oil

Method 

• Clean the mint leaves under running water and pat dry them on a kitchen towel and set aside. Use only the leaves and very tender stems . 
• In a pan , heat oil and start roasting the udad dhall on medium flame. 
• When the dhall begins to turn crisp add the pepper corns and the dry chillies and continue roasting till the udad dhall turns golden brown and crunchy . Transfer to a plate and let it cool for a while .
• In the same pan, roast the pudina leaves till they turn crisp . Donot over roast or burn the leaves.  Transfer the roasted leaves  on a plate and let it cool.
• In a blender, transfer the roasted dhal ,chillies ,pepper corns along with some salt , sugar and asafoetida. Skip the asafoetida if you are following gluten free diet .
• Blend the ingredients till they turn into a semi coarse powder , now add the roasted pudina and quickly pulse 2 to 3 times just enough to blend with the dhall mixture .
• Let it cool down and then transfer to an air tight container and keep away from moisture..always use a dry spoon.