Curry leaves is a must in Indian cooking, because of health benefits. Curry leaves is consumed in too many forms, mostly as a tempering ingredient in almost all the south Indian dishes, in chutney’s, may be deep fried as crisps along with deep fry like chicken 65, fish fry and so on. There is one more take on this curry leaves as Curry leaves powder commonly known as KARUVEPPILAI PODI in tamil / Karibevu pudi in Kannada.

Curry leaves powder recipe / Karuvepillai podi recipe

This curry leaves powder / Karuveppilai Podi can be served along with steamed rice with a tbsp of ghee/gingelly oil, can be served along with idli and dosa with some gingelly oil. This powder can be prepared and stored in an air tight container and it stays fresh for months’ time, so that it will be easy to use.  All it takes just 10 mins to prepare, but a life saver, that can be used for lunch or breakfast or dinner.

For more basic ingredients recipes, CLICK HERE and for more Chutney Recipes CLICK HERE.

Curry leaves has too many medicinal health benefits as it is rich in calcium and vitamin A, the most common among them are our hair growth – this helps in dense hair growth, prevent hair fall and also delays hair greying. Let me share the recipe…

Ingredients:

• Ulundam paruppu / White lentils / Urad dal – 3 tbsp
• Tuvaram paruppu / Split pigeon peas / Toor dal – 2 tbsp
• Kadala paruppu / Split chick pea (gram) / Channa dal – 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves / Karuveppilai – 1 ½ cups
• Cumin seeds / Jeeragam – 1 ½ tsp
• Black peppercorns / Milagu – 1 ½ tsp
• Red chillies – 4 nos
• Garlic – 3 cloves
• Salt to taste

cumin seeds, black peppercorns, red chillies, urad dal / white lentil, split pigeon peas / urad dal/ split chicken peas getting roasted

All the lentils and spices roasted together

curry leaves and garlic

curry leaves getting roasted

All the roasted ingredients together

Roasted lentils and spices about to groind

ground lentils and spices

Ground lentils powder along with roasted curry leaves and garlic

All together grounded to a fine powder

Grounded powder spreaded over a plate

Curry leaves powder recipe / Karuvepillai podi recipe

Preparation:

• Wash the curry leaves in running water, drain the water, spread it over a cloth and dry it for almost an hour.
• Heat a heavy bottomed vessel, add all the lentils (white lentils, split pigeon peas, split chick pea) followed by cumin seeds, pepper corns and red chillies.
• Cook in medium flame until it turns golden brown in color, remove it from fire and spread it over a plate.
• Add the curry leaves and garlic to the same vessel, and cook until the leaves turn crispy.
• Remove it from fire and spread it over a plate.
• Grind the lentils, spices, red chillies and cumin seeds to a fine powder.
• Add the curry leaves and garlic to the ground powder and grind it to a fine powder.
• Transfer it to a plate, spread it and let it rest until it reaches the room temperature.
• Transfer it to an air tight container.

Stay fresh for months’ time. Serve with idli, dosai or steamed rice topped with gingelly oil or ghee/clarified butter.