While I don’t consider myself a South Indian food connoisseur, I love the cuisine. Growing up, I regularly ate dosa with sambar, chutney, or molagapudi (spice mix) with ghee. Little did I know, these spice mixes, in addition to being absolutely delicious, are also healthy. They are made using ground pulses, dried chillies and curry leaves, in addition to several other condiments.
Each state in South India has its own variation of the spice mix. In Karnataka, it’s made of roasted peanuts or sesame seeds, chillies and garlic. In Kerala, the mix is made of ground urad dal and grated coconut, and in Andhra Pradesh, it’s made using dried red chillies and wheat germ. In Tamil Nadu, the spice mix is made of chana dal, jaggery and chillies.
But as Indians migrate to different parts of the country for reasons such as work and education, they might find it hard to get their hands on spice mixes that retain their authenticity.
Keeping this in mind, Poojitha Prasad (36), a…