COOKING HOUR: Pirandai podi recipe, Healthy podi for rice

Pirandai podi – Do you know the health benefits of pirandai also known as adamant creeper? It is easy to grow your own too.

I am not a gardening person. Not that I don’t love it, but I would do it better if I have just that hobby, nothing else. I grow/ have grown only quit essentials at home like curry leaves, mint etc that needs minimum care, also needed for my own use. Amma once asked me to grow pirandai as it is healthy to include especially for IT people who always sit and work.

Pirandai/ adamant creeper is said to strengthen bones. So once when I got pirandai in Little India, I planted just a twig and it grew effortlessly. Minimum maintenance and it grows healthy. Even my balcony gets sunlight only afternoons for a while. So if you are also keen you can try growing your own. I have already harvested few times.

This time as it grew more, I wanted to give it a try as podi to eat with rice. I was skeptical how it would turn. I fried the pirandai in low heat for long time and it turned out super crisp and moisture free. So the outcome was pretty good. If you like garlic flavour, you can also include 10 small cloves. Fry just like you fry pirandai and grind along.

You can mix this with hot rice, ghee or sesame oil (generous). Stays good for a month in shelf if pirandai is fried properly. Pirandai podi video here. Check out my karuveppilai thuvaiyal

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Pirandai podi for rice

Pirandai podi – Do you know the health benefits of pirandai also known as adamant creeper? It is easy to grow your own too.

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Servings 1 cup

Cup measurements

Ingredients

1 cup pirandai
1/2 cup urad dal
1/2 cup toor dal
1/4 cup coriander seeds
12 red chillies
1 tsp tamarind
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp methi seeds
1/4 – 1/2 tsp asafoetida
1/4 cup sesame oil
Salt as needed

Instructions

How to clean pirandai

Smear your hands with sesame oil generously to prevent itching of hands. Or use gloves as cleaning pirandai can cause your hands itchy and gives burning sensation in the finger tips. Do it very gently without giving much pressure.
Clean pirandai, first by removing leaves, then break at the nodes to smaller pieces. Slice the shape edges carefully.
Once done, chop roughly. I used a heaped measure of 1 cup pirandai.

Prepare pirandai podi

Heat a pan and dry roast urad dal until golden. Be careful always as it may get burnt easily towards end. Keep Remove in plate for cooling down.
Repeat the same for toor dal.
Roast asafoetida, black pepper, methi seeds same way. I used solid asafoetida. It should be roasted until it turns whitish.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in the pan and add chopped pirandai. Oil should be hot when you add. After 3-4 mins, lower the flame and continue frying until it changes the colour. (Total 10 mins)
Add tamarind to the same oil along with pirandai and give it a fry.
Drain from oil and let it be in a strainer for excess oil to get drained.
Let all the ingredients cool down completely.
Transfer everything to mixie along with salt and powder finely. Wipe the sides in between for even texture.

Video

Notes

If using powder asafoetida, you can roast separately or along with tamarind you can add.
Make sure to fry the pirandai well – to get rid of itchiness property, for longer shelf life.
You can make pirandai podi in your own way of preparing podi. Just add pirandai and tamarind as in this recipe and adjust spice level as tamarind will make it tangy.

Pirandai podi method:

How to clean Pirandai:
Smear your hands with sesame oil generously to prevent itching of hands. Or use gloves as cleaning pirandai can cause your hands itchy and gives burning sensation in the finger tips. Do it very gently without giving much pressure.
Clean pirandai, first by removing leaves, then break at the nodes to smaller pieces. Slice the shapr edges carefully.
Once done, chop roughly. I used a heaped measure of 1 cup pirandai.
Heat a pan and dry roast urad dal until golden. Be careful always as it may get burnt easily towards end. Keep Remove in plate for cooling down.
Repeat the same for toor dal.
Roast asafoetida, black pepper, methi seeds same way.
I used solid asafoetida. It should be roasted until it turns whitish.
Heat 1/4 cup oil in the pan and add chopped pirandai. Oil should be hot when you add.
After 3-4 mins, lower the flame and continue frying until it changes the colour. (Total 10 mins)
Add tamarind to the same oil along with pirandai and give it a fry.
Drain from oil and let it be in a strainer for excess oil to get drained.
Let all the ingredients cool down completely.
Transfer everything to mixie along with salt and powder finely. Wipe the sides in between for even texture.