“Just the right amount of cumin … I can tell,” he adds, “and with that zing you got the chile peppers right on the button- three-alarm, I’d say.” – James Villas

A good melange of spices is the secret behind delicous food. Each family has blends handed down to you from their grandma’s kitchen, and the subtle differences in these permutations and combinations are what makes the same dish taste different when cooked by different people.

Nothing beats the taste of freshly roasted and ground spices. But in today’s hurried world it is time efficient to prep and store various Podis – powders . One must have spice blend in my kitchen is Sambar podi, used to make a traditional lentil and vegetable stew. This was handed down generations to me and I am noting it down for my daughter – to use and pass it on…

I shot these photos a while ago. As I learn photography and experiment and develop my style, I have always been torn between dark and bright photos. Although I gravitate toward the bright and airy, sometimes I must agree that nothing beats black ! Check out photos on both sides of my grid. What do you say ?

And before I forget, Sambar Podi recipe
Roast on low heat
🌶1 cup Coriander seeds,
10 dries Red Chillies
15 Byadagi Chillies till fragrant and set aside
🌶Then roast until golden and set aside
2 tbsp Channa dal
2 tbsp Thur dal
1 heaped tsp Peppercorns
2 tbsp Cumin seeds.
🌶Next, roast until fragrant and golden
1 tsp Fenugreek seeds
🌶Let all cool.
Add 3 tbsp raw rice
1/2 tsp Turmeric
1/2 tsp Asafoetida
Powder and store in an air tight container. Use when making Sambar. Also can use to season any vegetable stir fry or to make Kara Bath.