Chammanthi podi potta kari (spicy roasted vegetable)

While growing up, amma (mum) and patti (grand mums) used to make this roasted vegetable dish spiced with a spicy powder made from a combination of typical South-Indian spices such as dals, chillies, tamarind & peppercorn and serve them with rice, rasam and samabar. It was always my favourite kind of side-dish. Then one day, on the festival of Onam, I was invited to my friends' home where her Mum served a spice powder called Chammanthi. I was totally blown away with the spice combination with the lovely flavour of roasted coconut completely one with the rest of the spices. No, they do not actually compliment each other like in other dishes. They just enhance each other and become one. Unfortunately, I cannot think of any other way to describe it. Ever since, I have hunted for a chammanthi recipe that came close to my childhood memory and I finally found it at Bharathy's spicychilli blog here. I modified her chammanthi recipe (which does not include any dals unlike my grand-mum and mum's podi/spice powder) to include the dals to make this roasted vegetable. The end result was perfect spicy roasted vegetable greatly enhanced by the roasted coconut. I did save a little bit of the powder to mix with rice and eat like they do in Kerala :) Anyway, we enjoyed the dish so very much that I had to write it down asap and particularly thank Bharathy for the chammanthi recipe :) I chose to make brinjal/Indian aubergine (baby ones) for this. It turned out so good that both Naz & Anjalie who are not big fans of aubergine due to the gooey texture enjoyed it very much. That is high praise indeed. So here is the recipe for "modified" chammanthi podi potta kari...

You will need:

for the chammanthi powder
1 tbsp channa dal
1.5 cup Grated coconut
2 tbsp Coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Black pepper corns (I used 1/4 tsp for Anjalie's version, so adjust to taste)
Red chillies- 15 (for adults only)
Tamarind-one inch piece
Salt-to taste
Curry leaves-4-5 sprigs

for the spicy veggie:
5-6 med potatoes peeled, boiled, cut to bite size pieces or brinjal cut into bite size pieces or cluster/green beans chopped fine.
2 tsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split urad dhal
4 tbsp chammanthi powder from
asafoetida, a pinch

In a skillet, roast the channa dal first for 1 min over med-low heat.










Next add all the other ingredients except tamarind and roast over low flame constantly stirring.






Roast until coconut turns golden brown.








Cool to room temperature, add the tamarind and grind into a fine-coarse powder.

Here it is! Take 4 tbsps of this powder for the kari and store the rest in an airtight bottle for future use or to eat with rice.

Heat the oil in a skillet to med-low heat. Add asafoetida and mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add urad dal and roast till golden.







Add your choice of veggie and season with salt. Cover and cook until soft but not mashed.







Turn off the stove and add the chammanthi powder and mix well to coat. Serve warm as a side dish with rice and rasam/sambar.








Sending this to Walk through Memory lane event hosted by Sowmya and Gayathri.