My Mom’s Cheap Trick for Making Oatmeal Taste Unbelievably Delicious

Back in college, one of my friends described plain canned beans as “the ultimate low meal.” They would eat them with a fork, straight out of the can when they were too busy and broke to make dinner happen. (I was there more than I’d like to admit).

One weekend while visiting home, I cooked beside my mom and was instantly reminded that my South Indian family eats some form of beans or lentils practically every day. And they’re far from tepid, beany, and dressed in gloopy aquafaba that I was eating out of my dorm room. 

That night, my mom recounted her days as a teenager walking on Puducherry, India, beaches with her favorite snack: golden-roasted chickpeas dusted in chili salt in a newspaper cone. She told me you can actually buy a bag of these roasted legumes that are ground into a spiced powder. Podi is more wallet-friendly than buying a bunch of spices, and easy to sprinkle onto dishes. 

I’m currently going through a pouch of MTR Idli Karam Podi (any seasoning by MTR is excellent!). I haven’t eaten a lackluster dinner since.

Podi, which means “powder” in Tamil, has a fine texture with a pleasantly toothsome grit — similar to cornmeal. Made from dry-roasted, ground-up bengal gram (chickpeas) and black gram (urad bean), MTR Idli Karam Podi is blended with salt, black pepper, red chili, and dried asafoetida (an allium-y, savory herb sap).

This powder also features tamarind, which gives it a lively tang that earned it the nickname gunpowder. I’m a big fan of this particular brand and flavor because its simple recipe packs complex flavor: savory depth, cozy nuttiness, bright spice that amps up the flavor of anything it touches. Plus, it’s just $2 at most South Asian grocery stores. (You can also find larger bags for a few dollars more on Amazon.)

For dinner growing up, most nights my family ate dosas, dipped into a rich, glossy paste of sesame oil and homemade podi. MTR Idli Karam Podi tastes almost as good as my family’s homemade version, and dosa is just one possibility. The mixture is shelf-stable and tastes good on everything. 

I use it to make the most incredible rice with a tablespoon of oil, butter, or ghee to steam rice, and mix in a few heaping tablespoons of podi. Just delicious! Also, mixed with a bit of oil, it’s as versatile as peanut butter: layered on fluffy pancakes, stirred into oatmeal, and just spread on toast or tortillas. 

Buy: MTR Idli Karam Podi, $2.24  for 100g at Patel Brothers 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: My Mom’s Cheap Trick for Making Oatmeal Taste Unbelievably Delicious