Karuppu ulundhu is Urad Dal with its skin, and I love how earthy and nutty it makes this idli podi. I dry-roast a cup of black urad dal with Bengal gram dal, black sesame seeds, pepper, cumin, and red chillies, then grind everything coarse with salt.
I fry the black urad dal and Bengal gram dal separately till light brown, then roast the pepper, cumin, sesame seeds, asafoetida, red chillies, and curry leaves. I grind everything lukewarm to a coarse powder with salt — not too fine, so it stays textured. I serve it with idli and dosa drizzled with sesame oil. More podi recipes to try: Podi Idli, Poondu Podi

