All the ingredients mentioned above have to be roasted dry, individually without any oil. My mom suggested that I roast few red chilies with every dal that I am roasting and this way the strong aroma of the red chili will not be felt.
So I first dry roasted the Ullutham paruppu with half the red chilies until it was golden brown. Transfer this to a dry wide container to allow it to cool. Then I roasted the kadalai paruppu with the remaining red chilies until golden brown and transferred it to the same container.
Next I roasted the flax seed until it was beginning to change color and started to pop. I added the salt and asafetida and roasted it further for few seconds. This also went into the container with the rest of the fried ingredients.
Lastly, I roasted the grated coconut until reddish brown and kept this separately to cool.
Once all the ingredients cool down completely, transfer the mixture of red chilies, dals and flaxseed to the blender/mixer and grind until coarse.
Now also add the roasted coconut and grind it until they all blend together. I keep my powder somewhat coarse, but you could grind it based on your liking. Once the coconut is added do not grind too long, since it will start releasing its oil and the powder will begin to clump up. Run the mixer in short cycles until they come to the desired consistency.
Once again cool it down for some more time and then store it in an airtight container. If storing for a prolonged period, store it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Enjoy with hot rice and sesame oil!