Curry leaves Powder or Karvepaku Podi

Ingredients:

Oil- 4 Tbsp
Salt to taste
jagerry /sugar optional-1 tbsp

To be roasted without oil:

Split black gram -2 tbsp
Bengal gram - 2 tbsp

To be roasted in oil:

Curry leaves -2 cups
Red Chillies- 10 to 12 stalks removed
Asafoetida ( Hing) - I tbsp
Tamarind- medium lemon sized ball

Procedure:

1: Wash the curry leaves and pat them dry
2: Dry roast the grams, each seperately on a low flame, to deep brown
3: Heat oil and roast the curry leaves on a low flame until crisp. Remove from oil and set aside.
4:In the same oil, roast the chillies until crisp and bright red, but not brown, Remove them from oil and set aside.
5: Roast the Asfoetida and remove from oil and set aside.
6: Finally roast the tamarind and remove from oil.
7: Grind all these ingredients along with salt and jaggery into a powder, neither fine nor corse. Cool the powder and store in air tight jar.

Note: Serve this with idlis, dosas or eat with steming rice.

Variation: Roast little grated ginger in little ghee for 2/3 minutes and grind along with all other ingredients.