Kothamalli Podi Recipe (Corriander Thokku Semi-dry Recipe)

     Kothamalli podi is liked by everyone at home. It is a tasty side-dish/pickle for idly, dosa etc. With a drop of gingelly oil on it, it tastes so heavenly that I cant keep track of the number of idlies or dosas I had. Paati usually makes this when there is surplus corriander available. she makes this podi and shapes them into small rounds and stores them in an air tight container in fridge. Though this recipe is referred as podi, it is more semi-dry in consistency than the powdery form as implied by the name.
     Have made this couple of times, after coming to USA. When we buy 3 big bunches of coriander for a dollar from Lotte :P

Prep Time: 60 mins (including drying) || Grinding Time: 5 mins || Yields: 150 gm || Category: Pickle/Podi/Thokku

Ingredients:
1. Coriander leaves - 1 big bunch
2. Black Urad dal - handful
3. Dry red chilli - 1 (Based on the hotness)
4. Tamarind - 1 small piece
5. Hing - 1 small piece
6. Salt - as required
7. Gingelly oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Wash the coriander leaves well and spread them on a clean dry cloth to dry for about an hour. Once they are dry, chop them roughly. In a kadai, add oil and roast urad dal till a nice aroma comes. Then add the dry red chilli and roast it. 

2. Remove from heat and transfer the ingredients to a plate for cooling. In the same kadai, add the tamarind and hing pieces and roast them for a min. Transfer it to the plate and let all the ingredients cool down to room temperature. 

3. Add all the roasted ingredients, salt, coriander leaves to a mixie jar and give a quick pulse. Open the lid and stir the contents well. Slowly grind the ingredients with intermittent stirring, into a coarse powder (semi- dry consistency without adding water).

Suggestions:

• White urad dal can be used instead of black urad dal.
• Keeps good for 4-6 days under refrigeration.

Tastes great with curd rice or idly dosa etc along w a drop of gingelly oil.