Recipe - Indian Red Gun Powder (Molaha Podi)

1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
2 tablespoon Channa dahl
2 tablespoon Urad dahl; (white gram
beans)
15 Dry small red chile pods
One half teaspoon Asafetida
2 tablespoon Sesame seeds
One half teaspoon Salt; or to taste
1 One half tablespoon Brown sugar

1. Heat the 1 t oil in a wok or heavy skillet over medium heat for 3
minutes. Add the urad and channa dahl and chiles. Fry stirring constantly
until the beans begin to turn color, about 3 minutes.

2. Stir in the asafetida and sesame seeds. Continue frying until the
contents of the pan are nicely browned and smell roasted, about 3 minutes.
Turn off the heat, transfer mixture to a plate and cool completely. Blend
in the sugar and salt. Grind the mixture to a powder using a coffee grinder
(my preferred method), or a large mortar and pestle or spice mill. The
powder should be neither coarse, nor as fine as flour; it should have a
grainy texture. This mixture stays fresh indefinitely if stored in an
airtight container in a cool place. Optionally, just before serving, blend
a little oil into as much powder as you might use to make a sauce.

Busted by Christopher E. Eaves cea260@airmail.net

NOTES : The following spicy powder is extremely hot, but very tasty and
addictive. I find myself eating it plain, unable to stopbut I'm a
strange one. The recipe comes from Julie Sahni's Classic Indian Vegetarian
and Grain Cooking. Some of the ingredients are specialized; you'll have to
get them from an Indian foods store
Recipe by: Julie Sahni's Classic Indian, Vegetarian and Grain

Posted to recipeludigest by "Christopher E. Eaves" cea260@airmail.net on
Mar 15, 1998