Thengai (Coconut) Podi

Ingredients :
Coconut - 1
Urad dal - 1/2 cup
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Dry chilli - approx. 12 nos
Tamarind - size of a small lemon
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp

Method :

1. Grate the coconut and roast the grated coconut till it changes colour and gives out an aroma. Keep it aside.
2. Roast the urad dal, chana dal and dry chilli till the raw smell disappears.
3. Add tamarind, salt and asafoetida to this mixture and continue to heat for a further 2 minutes. Let this mix cool down.
4. Grind the dal mix to a coarse powder in a mixie. Now add the grated coconut to this powder and grind to a fine powder.
5. Allow the thengai powder to cool down. This goes well with rice and can also be had with dosa or idli.
6. If one has a taste for garlic, 2-4 cloves of garlic can be added with the tamarind into the dal mix, roasted and ground.