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The best chaaru/rasam podi ever

The essential spice mix to have on hand to make a wide range of rasams
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Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 5 cups dhania or coriander seeds 250g [1 cup=50g]
  • 1 heaped cup milagu or black pepper 100g
  • 1 cup jeera 75g
  • ½ cup methi or fenugreek seeds 50g
  • 1 tablespoon toor dal 20g
  • 1 small bundle of fresh curry leaves
  • 8 handfuls dry red chilles 200g [1 handful is approximately 25g]
  • 1 tablespoon mustard seeds 10g
  • a little ghee or sesame oil to roast curry leaves and red chillies
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Method
 

  1. Lightly roast all ingredients (except mustard seeds and salt) one by one until fragrant, setting each aside to cool as you go.
  2. When roasting the curry leaves and red chillies, add a few drops of ghee or sesame oil. Make sure you roast the curry leaves until crisp and completely dry.
  3. Now add all the roasted spices back into the pan, add the mustard seeds and salt, mix and allow to cool completely
  4. Grind in batches in a spice blender
  5. Bottle and store.
  6. This powder keeps well in sealed jars for several months. Refrigerate or freeze for upto a year.

Notes

This recipe makes approximately 5 200g bottles of rasam powder. It's easily halved as follows:
  • 2 ½ cups dhania or coriander seeds (125g) [1 cup=50g]
  • ½ cup milagu or black pepper (50g)
  • ½ cup jeera (40g)
  • ½ cup methi or fenugreek seeds (25g)
  • 1 teaspoon toor dal (10g)
  • ½ a small bundle of fresh curry leaves
  • 4 handfuls dry red chilles (100g) [1 handful is approximately 25g]
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (5g)
  • 1 teaspoon salt