Bhramaramba garu taught me the preparation of Sambar Podi. Apparently, she learnt it from her family friends. The beautiful aroma of the Sambar Podi sets the tone of the meal even before the preparation is complete.
It literally reduces your effort of imagining the final outcome during the prep time itself, just because of its aroma.
When Gangadharam was posted in Israel for 6 months, I packed all the podis and preparations in air-tight containers so that he doesn't have to run pillar to post for his food. And, I carried some more when we three visited him during the summer.
The ease with which I could prepare Sambar with literally zero effort makes me love my Sambar Podi even more.
Gangadharam was narrating a funny incident about how he mistook Sambar Podi for Koora Podi and used it in a curry and served it to a local colleague. They, nevertheless, enjoyed the taste as it was so very interesting.
