Buttermilk Chillies - மோர் மிளகாய் - Side dish for curd rice - Step by step

           Buttermilk chillies are best condiment for curd rice. The sourness from the curd ans the spice from the chillies ,go well with each other. This is one of my mom's summer special condiments. For good mor milagai, the chillies has to be small and spicy. Since I couldn't get hold of those chillies,So used less spicier ones, for mor milagai.Thai green chillies , has been banned in our area. Don't know, when the ban is going to be taken.  They were also good, except for the spiceness. The process involves, soaking the green chillies in buttermilk during the night and drying them in hot sun during day time. This process will take place, till all the buttermilk is used up. Then they are dried for 3 more days for the chillies to become crisp. Totally it took about 7 -8 days for me. But it depends on, where you live and how much sun light you get . Totally happy , making this buttermilk chillies.

Preparation time : 10 mins

Drying time : 7 to 10 days

Yield : 100 gms (approx)

Ingredients :

1.Green Chillies - 200 gm

2.Buttermilk - 2 cups

3.Salt - to taste

Method:

*  Select small and spicy green chillies for mor milagai . I couldn't get Thai green chillies. So used slightly less spicy chillies. My green chillies were long ,so took time to dry .In the middle of the drying process,I cut the chillies into half, to dry them fast. But if you could find small spicy chillies, then go ahead and use it. Wash the chillies and dry them. * Take a tooth pick and make slits in the green chillies. My mom used to do this using blade. Don't remove the head of the chillies. These slits will make the buttermilk to enter the chillies easily. * Take a mixing bowl, big enough to hold the chillies. Pour the buttermilk into the bowl.Add salt and mix.  * Drop the chillies in the buttermilk and shake the bowl, so that they are immersed in the buttermilk. Let the chillies stay in the buttermilk for about a day. This will make the chillies absorb the buttermilk very much. * On day - 2 , take the chillies out and dry them on a plate. Let it dry under the sun till evening. In the evening, drop the green chillies in the buttermilk. Let the chillies gets soaked in the buttermilk  throught the night. The point here, is we are going to make the chilies absorb buttermilk as much as possible. When the green chillies are drying in the sun, the water content both in chillies and buttermilk will be evaporated. But the chillies will retain the sourness of the buttermilk.At night, the chillies will  again absorb the buttermilk. Day - 5  * There were 3 days of rain in my area, so it took much time for the chillies to dry. So I cut the chillies into two, to quicken the drying process.In the morning, dry the green chillies in the sun. Again in the night , drop the chillies in the buttermilk. You can see, the colour of the chillies are slowly turning to pale yellow. This is because of the buttermilk. * We have to carry on this process, till all the buttermilk in the bowl is absorbed by the chillies. Don't keep the buttermilk under the sun. It has to be inside. If your place is hot and humid, the green chillies will dry quickly than mine. Once the buttermilk is completely absorbed by these chillies, then dry the chillies in sun, till they are crisp, without any moisture. * If the chillies has moisture, then they may go stale soon. Once the chillies are ried completely, store them in air tight container. When needed, just fry them in oil.  * Serve them with curd rice or any rice. The sourness from the buttermilk and spice from the chillies will give you a very good taste to the chillies.

Notes:
* Select spicy chillies for mor milagai.
* Small size makes it to dry fast and quick.
* The buttermilk has to be sour ,for a good mor milagai.
* Soak the chillies in buttermilk, till the bowl becomes empty. Once the buttermilk is over, 
* If you are in tropical region, then these chillies will dry quickly.
* We can also add grinded methi seeds to the buttermilk to balance the sourness,
* Some will also add grinded urad dal, for the chillies to have a coating.
* If these chillies are dried properly, they can be stored till a year.

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