# Thengai Poondu Idicha Podi

This is a spicy, garlicky powder made with dry coconut, garlic, chili powder, and salt, to be consumed with gingelly oil and dosa.

- Total time: 5 min
- Cuisine: Indian
- Category: Soup
- Language: en

## Ingredients

- 4 pieces copra (dried coconut)
- 4 heads garlic
- rock salt
- plain red chili powder
- gingelly oil

## Instructions

1. Take four pieces of copra and approximately four heads of garlic.
2. For the garlic, sever the top and bottom sections, wash thoroughly, and ensure it is dried; do not remove the entire skin.
3. If copra is not accessible, use standard coconut, cut it into small pieces, and lightly dry roast it in a pan without oil until all moisture has evaporated to ensure shelf life.
4. Initially, incorporate the coconut, rock salt, and plain red chili powder into a mixer.
5. Give these ingredients a brief pulse, aiming for a consistency where both coconut and garlic are discernible in distinct pieces, not finely powdered.
6. After partially grinding the initial ingredients, add the garlic to the mixture.
7. Pulse the mixture once more until the desired consistency is reached.
8. The preparation is complete and can be served with gingelly oil as an accompaniment, for example, with dosa.
9. To serve, portion out the powder and drizzle a small amount of gingelly oil on top.

## Equipment

- mixer
- airtight container
- pan

## Tips

- When using standard coconut instead of copra, lightly dry roast it without oil until all moisture has evaporated to prolong shelf life.
- Do not remove the entire skin of the garlic; just sever the top and bottom, wash, and dry thoroughly.
- Pulse the coconut, rock salt, and chili powder first before adding the garlic to prevent a pasty consistency.
- The desired consistency for grinding is for both coconut and garlic to be discernible in distinct pieces, not finely powdered.
- Chili powder is preferred over whole chilies to avoid a raw aroma and to prevent pieces from adhering to the palate, resulting in a satisfactory level of spiciness and good color.
- The spiciness is best when slightly elevated, as gingelly oil mitigates the heat.
- Including garlic with its skin imparts a specific aroma and flavor.
- The main source of heat is the garlic, with chili powder used primarily for color.
- A small amount of gingelly oil drizzled on top is sufficient when serving.

## Source

- Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqW2XTcV6hQ
- Recipe page: https://www.cliprecipe.com/recipe/f63812dd-d7ab-4263-89cb-b62bb46df148
- Extracted: 2026-06-22

Extracted from the video by Clip Recipe (https://www.cliprecipe.com). Quantities and steps are as stated or shown in the video. Site guide for agents: https://www.cliprecipe.com/llms.txt