Pulusu Podi (Sweet “soup” powder)

This is used to make something like sambar except that you add a lot of sugar and tamarind to give a sweet & sour soup. A speciality is one form where you add sweet potato, potato, pumpkin and anyother vegies like carrots, green beans, etc.

Ingredients:
2 table spoons fenugreek seeds
20 large red chillies
1/2 tea spoon black pepper (whole)
1/4 tea spoon Asafoetida
1/2 tea spoon coriander seeds
Method:
Fry all ingredients in a tea spoon of oil on low heat. When lukewarm grind to a fine powder.

Curry Powder

Ingredients
1 /1/4 cups Coriander seeds
3/4 cup Split Bengal gram (chana dal)
1/2 cup Split black gram (urad dal)
3/4 cup Whole dry red chillies
2 tsps Asafoetida powder
1 marble sized ball Tamarind
3 tsps Oil
Salt to taste
Method:
Dry roast coriander seeds, bengal gram dal and black gram dal separately.Fry red chillies in three teaspoons of oil. Mix all the ingredients together when cooled and powder. Cool and store in an airtight container and use when required.

The Magic Masala- Garam Masala

INGREDIENTS:
4 tbsps coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1 ½ tsps black cumin seeds (shahjeera)
1 ½ tsps dry ginger
¾ tsp black cardamom (3-4 large pods approx)
¾ tsp cloves
¾ tsp cinnamon (2 X 1” pieces)
¾ tsp crushed bay leaves
Method:
Heat a heavy skillet on a medium flame and gently roast all ingredients (leave cardamom in its pods till later) except the dry ginger, till they turn a few shades darker. Stir occasionally. Do not be tempted to speed up the process by turning up the heat as the spices will burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.
When the spices are roasted turn of the flame and allow them to cool.
Once cooled, remove the cardamom seeds from their skins and mix them back with all the other roasted spicesGrind them all together, to a fine powder in a clean, dry coffee grinder.
Store in an air-tight container in a cool, dark place.

Chaat Masala

Ingredients:
4 tbsps Coriander seeds
2 tsps Cumin seeds
1 tsp Carom seeds (ajwain)
2-3 Whole dry red chillies
3 tbsps Black salt crystals
1/2 tsp Citric acid
1 tsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp White/black pepper powder
Method:
Dry roast coriander seeds, cumin seeds, carom seeds separately. Cool and powder them with dry red chillies, black salt and citric acid.Mix in the remaining ingredients. Store in an air-tight container.

Pav Bhaji Masala

Ingredients:
1 tbsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
2 Black cardamom
3 tsps Kashmiri chilli powder
2 1/2 tsps Cumin seeds
3 tbsps Coriander powder
10 one inch sticks Cinnamon
2 tsps Fennel seeds (saunf)
2 1/2 tsps Cloves
5-6 Bay leaves
1 tsp Black pepper corns

Method:
Grind all the ingredients to a fine powder.