MAJJIGA MIRAPAKAYALU OR SUN DRIED CHILLIS OR VOORA MIRAPAKAYALU:

Brief:

Prep - 4 days , drying Time: 3 or 4days

Serves - Family

Storage - 1year

Cuisine: Andhra

Majjiga (buttermilk) mirapakaaya, a traditional Andhra recipe and as the name suggests, is green chillis soaked in sour buttermilk and sun-dried.Once the chillis are completely dried ,their color changes to a nice beige color and they develop a withered look.We usually make them in bulk during the summer season and sun dry them over our terraces where the heat of the sun is the maximum and preserved in air tight containers.They are also called voorumirapakaayalu (telugu) and mor molagai (tamil) and when deep-fried,attain a lovely brown shade,a nice crispy texture . Majjiga Mirapakaaya is a simple recipe but is a lenghty process and requires some patience as the preparation process is spread over a week.

Ingredients:

Fresh green chillis -1kg

thick buttermilk(majjiga) – enough

salt -¼ kg bright hot sun.

1.Usually we use the green chillis which have more spice (the ones shown in the picture below).Wash and pat dry the green chillis and make vertical slits half way along the green chilli on two sides.The slits have to be made such that the green chilli is intact and doesnt open up.Generally the seeds of this particular variety remove seeds but ensure you dont break the green chilli.Now soak them in enough quantity of thick buttermilk ,salt,green chillies added to it till they are well immersed for 2 days (and nights).Cover and shake them twice a day

2. Take out the green chillis from the butter milk on the 3rd day morning and sun dry it all day by spreading them over 4-5 sheets of newspapers or thick plastic sheet and put them back in the same majjiga again later in the evening at sunset(5-6 pm). Remember to remove them in the evening and put them back in the buttermilk and let them sit in it all night before you again remove them the next morning to be sun-dried.Continue this process for atleast 2 days.Then throw away the left over sour buttermilk and continue to sun dry the chillis till completely dry (which is usually 3-4 days).

3. Store them in an air tight container and deep fry them in hot oil till crisp and golden brown (like papad and vadiyaalu) appears .

4.Even a simple curd rice & pappu annam or dal rice when eaten with a majjiga mirapakaaya makes it a special meal.