Chutney puddi (or powder) is a South Indian condiment served with idlis, dosas or mixed in with plain rice. You add some ghee with it. There are more than a 100 varieties of chutney puddi in Bangalore. I’m sure there are much more around other parts of South India.

It is called gun powder for a reason. It usually blows your socks off. It is fire in your mouth. Of course, that depends on which kind you eat.

This condiment is usually a dry mix of different lentils, tamarind, dry coconut (copra), asafetida (hing), fenugreek, jaggery, sometimes nuts…and so much more. You can even include flaxseeds and sesame seeds.

Find a combination you like and keep it in your pantry – it could come handy if you want a quick Indian meal. I’ve made a non-spicy version (without the chillies) for my girls. I also don’t add any sweetener – it is perfectly fine without any. But you can add jaggery if you wish.

Jaggery is an unprocessed sweetener that comes from sugar cane. It is used to make processed white sugar. Unlike sugar, jaggery contains all the vitamins and mineral of sugar cane.

Keep this powder dry if you want to keep it for a few weeks in your pantry. Mine lasts at least a month.

So…what’s in here that’s good for you? Everything is! But we’ll go through only a few here –

Lentils – Organic urad dhal (split black lentils) is hard to find in Australia, but I’ve managed to find it here – www.santosorganics.com.au

The benefits of lentils are many. It is anti-inflammatory, could help breastfeeding mothers increase their milk, is fiber-rich, reduces cholestrol, great for diabetes, etc.

It can be used topically as a poultice for muscle or joint pain. It can also be ground into a flour and used as a face mask when mixed with other beneficial ingredients.

Curry leaves – are another mighty nutritional powerhouse. They contain calcium, phosphorus, niacin, Vitamin C and iron. They help to reduce cholesterol levels and manage type 2 diabetes.

They help to reduce the effects of chemotherapy, is good for the eyes, it protects your liver, is anti bacterial, anti fungal, an antioxidant, helps to prevent cancer and is good for your hair and skin.

Got a burn? Reach for the curry leaves. The paste, if applied topically, can help with burns, stings and bites.

Phew! That’s a long list of nutritional benefits for this humble leaf.

Tamarind – is a super food.

Tamarind extract can used to treat snake bites!

It is anti-inflammatory (helps with joint pains and other inflammation in the body) and is an antioxidant (helps to reduce free radicals in our body that is caused by all the toxins around us).

Tamarind also fights bacteria and viruses, is high in magnesium (so it’s good for our bones), it helps keep our heart healthy, promotes weight loss and relieves constipation.