NutriThrive
Curry Leaf Podi Recipe with Dried Curry Leaves
Make curry leaf podi with dried curry leaves, roasted dals and spices. Step-by-step, storage tips, and six ways to use it beyond rice.
Curry leaf podi is a dry, roasted South Indian seasoning you stir into hot rice with ghee or sesame oil, or serve with idli and dosa. This batch uses 10g dried curry leaves plus roasted dals and spices. Below is the weighed recipe I use, how to store the jar, and six ways to eat it beyond rice.
Quick answer
- What it is: a leaf-led dry chutney powder (podi), not wet coconut chutney and not supermarket curry powder.
- Time: about 15 minutes active, plus cooling before you grind.
- Leaves: dried curry leaves toast crisp in 1 to 2 minutes, with no long wilting step.
- Buy the ingredient: dried curry leaves, 30g for $7, grown on our farm in Gujarat and packed in Truganina.
What curry leaf podi is
Podi means powder. South Indian kitchens make several kinds. Chilli-and-lentil milagai podi (often called gunpowder) is heat-led. Curry leaf podi is leaf-led and more herbal. In Tamil the leaf is karuveppilai; in Telugu karivepaku; in Hindi curry patta or kadi patta.
It is not the same as curry powder (a turmeric-led spice blend that usually contains no curry leaves). If you landed here wanting the difference between curry leaf powder and curry powder, read curry leaves powder vs curry powder. This page is the full podi recipe.
Why dried curry leaves work for podi
Podi needs leaves dry enough to grind to a sandy powder. Dried curry leaves only need a brief toast to turn crisp and fragrant. Fresh leaves work too, but you must wash them, dry them thoroughly, and roast longer to drive off moisture, otherwise the grind clumps.
Weigh the leaves (10g here) rather than scooping a loose cup: whole and broken leaflets pack differently. For judging a dried pack by colour and smell, see our curry patta / quality guide.
Curry leaf podi recipe
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| Dried curry leaves | 10g |
| Chana dal | 2 tbsp |
| Urad dal | 2 tbsp |
| Dried red chillies | 4 to 6 (or 2 for milder) |
| Cumin seeds | 1 tsp |
| Black peppercorns | ½ tsp |
| White sesame seeds (optional) | 1 tbsp |
| Tamarind (optional) | small piece, or ¼ tsp powder |
| Jaggery (optional) | ¼ tsp |
| Asafoetida (hing) | pinch |
| Salt | about ½ tsp, then adjust |
Active time about 15 minutes; cooling about 10 minutes. Yield depends on how coarsely you grind.
Method
- Roast the dals. Heavy pan, low heat. Dry-roast chana dal and urad dal, stirring, until golden and nutty, about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Add the spices. Add dried chillies, cumin and peppercorns. Roast about 1 minute until fragrant.
- Sesame (optional). Stir in for about 30 seconds until it starts to pop and deepen in colour.
- Leaves last. Add the dried curry leaves for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant and crisp. Take the pan off before they scorch.
- Hing off the heat. Sprinkle hing into the warm pan and stir once.
- Cool completely. Tip onto a plate. Warm mix steams in the grinder and clumps.
- Grind. Pulse with salt, and tamarind/jaggery if using, to a coarse, sandy texture. Taste and adjust salt.
Six ways to use podi beyond rice
- Idli or dosa: mix a little podi with oil for dipping, or sprinkle on top.
- Eggs or avocado toast: a pinch just before serving.
- Roasted vegetables: toss potatoes or cauliflower with podi near the end of roasting.
- Yoghurt dip: stir ½, 1 tsp into thick plain yoghurt for cucumber or roti.
- Over dal: finish a bowl with a teaspoon. Try it with our 30-minute curry leaf dal.
- Soup: sprinkle over lentil or vegetable soup at the table so the roasted aroma stays.
The classic plate is still hot rice with 1 to 2 teaspoons of podi and a spoon of ghee or sesame oil. More leaf ideas: curry leaf recipes beyond dal.
How to store homemade podi
Airtight jar, cool and dry, clean dry spoon only. The roasted aroma is best in the first few weeks and then fades. Discard if it becomes damp or shows spoilage. Grind small batches from whole dried leaves when you can, because whole leaves keep their smell longer than a big jar of pre-ground powder.
Dried Curry Leaves, 30g: $7
Whole leaves for this podi, for tadka, and for grinding fresh powder when you need it. Orders before 2pm on business days usually leave the same day from Truganina. Free shipping on Australian orders of $79 or more.
Allergen and diet notes
Sesame is an allergen, so leave the seeds out if needed. Some compounded hing contains wheat flour; check the label for a gluten-free batch. Serve with oil instead of ghee for a vegan plate. Cooking information only; check every label for your household.
Making a milder or hotter jar
Chilli count sets the heat. Two dried red chillies keep the podi friendly for kids and mixed tables; four to six is a standard home jar; add another chilli only after you taste the grind. If you want it smokier, use a mix of mild and hot dried chillies rather than doubling the hottest ones in one go.
No lentils? You can try a leaf-and-sesame or leaf-and-peanut version, but the texture and allergen profile change. Test a small batch before you replace the dal in this recipe. For plain ground leaf without dals (not a full podi), the short method on the curry leaves powder vs curry powder post is enough.
If you're shopping for the leaves at the supermarket first, see where to buy curry leaves at Woolworths, Coles and Aldi, then keep a 30g dried pouch for the next podi batch.
FAQ
What is curry leaf podi?
A dry South Indian seasoning made from roasted curry leaves, lentils and spices. It's leaf-led and more herbal than chilli gunpowder podi, and it's not the same as wet coconut chutney or supermarket curry powder.
Can I make curry leaf podi with dried curry leaves?
Yes. Toast 10g dried curry leaves until crisp, then grind them with the roasted dals and spices. Dried leaves skip most of the moisture-removal step fresh leaves need.
Can I make it with fresh leaves?
Yes. Wash and dry them thoroughly, then roast until crisp enough to crumble before grinding.
How long does homemade podi last?
It's most aromatic in the first few weeks in an airtight jar. Check for moisture or spoilage rather than relying on a fixed date.
Is curry leaf podi the same as gunpowder?
Not exactly. Milagai podi (gunpowder) is chilli and lentil led. Curry leaf podi is leaf led and more herbal.
Is podi the same as curry leaves powder?
Plain curry leaves powder is just ground curry leaf. Podi usually adds roasted lentils, chilli and spices. See our curry leaves powder vs curry powder guide for the naming.
Where can I buy dried curry leaves in Australia?
Indian grocers often stock them, and we sell a 30g pouch of whole dried leaves packed in Truganina, Melbourne, for $7.
Written by Neer Vasa, NutriThrive founder.
A practical next step
Dried Curry Leaves
Farm-grown karipatta from our own farm.
$7.00 / 30g