Sundried Curd Chillies

These are best had with delicious curd rice, sambhar rice, khichdi or your desi dal chawal (dal & rice) .  The choice is yours.  These crisp green chilies are made during summers to be preserved for a few weeks.   They are marinated in yogurt and then sun dried.  The process of dipping them into the spiced yoghurt is repeated over a couple of days.  Then the chillies are dried thoroughly under the hot sun and then stored for later use.

The market ones have a lot of salt added to them.  Instead, I prefer making these at home.

In this recipe the fenugreek powder is added, it gives a nice flavour.  You can opt out if you like.  These chillies are so flavourful that even the simplest of meal tastes yummy.  So while the sun is still scorching strong, go make these and relish them.

RECIPE

Ingredients :

• 200 gms Green chilies/ Hari Mirch (Fat Chillies)
• 2 cup sour Yogurt/ Khatta Dahi
• ½ tsp roasted Fenugreek Powder
• A pinch of asafoetida/ hing
• Salt To Taste

Method :

• Wash the green chilies and pat dry them.
• Then slit them from the center.
• Beat some yoghurt in a bowl and add some water to dilute it.
• Add salt, asafoetida, roasted fenugreek powder and mix it well.
• Now add the slit green chilies in the prepared buttermilk and mix.
• Keep the chilies soaked overnight.
• Next morning take the chillies out of the curd mixture and spread on a plate in a single layer and dry in direct sunlight .
• These chillies need to be double soaked in the same curd mixture once they are dried for one whole day.  Keep them at room temperature and next day again dry them in the hot sunlight.
• This process can be repeated for 3-4 days consecutively.
• Keep the chillies in the sun till they are completely dried. (Could take a couple of days more)
• Store the leftover chillies in an airtight glass jar.
• These are to be fried in oil over low heat till they get nice and crisp, to be eaten with your favourite Indian meal.

Handy Tips :

• You need to ensure the chilies are submerge in the buttermilk else they will float on the top.  You can press a plate or a small bowl on them.
• After dipping the chillies in the buttermilk, put the buttermilk back in the refrigerator till next use.
• Make sure to dry the chillies completely else they get fungus.