Uchellu Pudi

Roasted niger-seed powder from North Karnataka — uchellu = niger seed in Kannada (Guizotia abyssinica). Niger seeds are dry-roasted with whole dry red chilies, garlic, and salt, then ground to a coarse fragrant podi. Eaten with jowar rotti, akki rotti, or stirred into hot rice with a teaspoon of ghee. Calorie-dense (~38% fat from the seeds themselves) but rich in protein, iron, and dietary fiber. Distinctive Hubli / Belagavi / Bagalkot specialty — no canonical Tamil equivalent.