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South Indian · Indian

Karuveppilai podi (curry leaf powder)

Vegetarian

கறிவேப்பிலைப் பொடி · kaṟivēppilaip poṭi

Curry leaves roasted until brittle with urad and chana dal, dried chillies, pepper and a little tamarind, then ground into a fragrant green-brown powder. Mixed with rice and ghee or sprinkled on idli with oil.

Karuveppilai podi (curry leaf powder) is a South Indian condiment, ready in about 46 minutes and made with curry leaves and black gram (urad dal). It serves 8 and is rated easy to cook.

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Prep
10 min
Cook
16 min
Rest
20 min
Total
46 min
Serves
8
Level
Easy
Calories
—

Plus 2–3 hours (or overnight) to air-dry the washed leaves.

Ingredients

8 servings (about 12 g)

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Strip the leaves, wash and spread them on a cloth to dry completely (2–3 hours, or overnight in the shade). Any moisture left will make the podi clump and spoil.

    • 5 min

  2. Step 2

    In a heavy frying pan over medium-low heat, dry-roast the urad (opens in a new tab) dal and chana dal (opens in a new tab), stirring, for 6–7 minutes until golden and aromatic. Tip out. Add the oil and roast the chillies, peppercorns (opens in a new tab) and cumin for 1–2 minutes until the chillies darken a shade; add the asafoetida (opens in a new tab). Tip out.

  3. Step 3

    Roast the curry leaves (opens in a new tab) in the dry pan over low heat, stirring, for 5–6 minutes until they are crisp and crumble between your fingers but are still green. Add the tamarind (opens in a new tab) for the last minute to dry it.

  4. Step 4

    Cool everything for 20 minutes. Grind the chillies, tamarind (opens in a new tab) and salt first, then add the dals, leaves and jaggery and grind in short bursts to a slightly coarse powder.

    Spices being ground in a mortar and pestle
    How it looks · Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Store airtight. Serve mixed into hot rice with ghee or gingelly oil, or as an idli podi with oil.

About this dish

Origin
Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, India · Commonly attributedCommon in Tamil (karuveppilai podi) and Telugu (karivepaku podi) homes; recipes vary in the dal and tamarind.More food from India
Dish
Lunch · Breakfast · Condiments, chutneys & relishes
Cooking method
Toasted
Taste
aromatic / warmly spiced, nutty, spicy (chilli heat), earthy
Diet
Vegan · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegan · Plant-based · Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Lacto-vegetarian · Ovo-vegetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: No added sugarWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Make-ahead · Batch cooking · Portable / lunchbox
Cook more with
Curry leaves · Black gram (urad dal) · Chana dal (split bengal gram) · Dried whole chillies · Black peppercorns · Cumin seeds
Techniques
Toasting · Spice roasting (dry-roasting)

Allergens

  • May contain: Wheatfrom asafoetida
  • May contain: Glutenfrom asafoetida

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

Nutrition not available for this recipe

Not enough data to calculate: Curry leaves. We show nothing rather than a made-up number.

Good to know

Tips

  • Leaves must crumble before grinding; leathery leaves give a stringy, damp powder.
  • Curry leaf podi loses its aroma faster than lentil podis — make small batches.

Common mistakes

  • Roasting the leaves on high heat until they brown and turn bitter.
  • Grinding damp leaves, which makes the podi go mouldy within days.

Serve with

  • Mix with hot rice, ghee and a squeeze of lemon (karuveppilai sadam).
  • Sprinkle over idli, dosa or curd rice.

Food safety

  • Use a dry spoon; curry leaf podi spoils quickly if moisture gets in.

Storage

  • Keeps 1 month in an airtight jar at room temperature, 2 months in the fridge.

Variations

  • Karivepaku karam podi (Andhra): More chillies and a few cloves of dry-roasted garlic.
  • With sesame: Add 15 g dry-roasted sesame seeds for a richer, nuttier podi.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

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Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

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Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 2, 3

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