Majjige Menasu/Balaka (Dahi Mirchi)

This is one of the many traditional recipes which rules the kitchen cabinets during rainy days and wintry nights in South India. The place where I come from has very hot summers and wild monsoon rains. Every summer, eating cartons of golden mangoes and spending most of our time at our grandma’s place, I have grown up with watching my Amma and grandma prepare hundreds of Happala (Papadam), Sendige and Majjige Menasu which is also called as Balaka. It's a bit of pain to prepare these munchies in scorching heat. But, at the same time very rewarding in heavy monsoon days. The simple pleasure of munching sweet and spicy Papadams with a hot cup of coffee, while rain drops danceing to the tunes of heavy thunders are some of best days of my life.

Thud… Coming back to reality, here is a HOT recipe for preparing Balakas (Dahi Mirchi). This is for all who love spicy chillies especially for my dear friend Dilip who is crazy about chillies(Checkout his hot chilli recipes here).

Majjige Menasu served with Rice & Dal

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Majjige Menasu/Balaka
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cooking Time: -
Serves: -

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Ingredients:
10-20 Green Chillies
2 cups Sour Buttermilk
2-3 tsp Salt

Majjige Menasu

Method:
Mix salt to the sour buttermilk in a wide pan and keep aside.
Take a toothpick and make small hole at one side of the green chillies (don’t remove the seeds and stem).
Arrange the green chillies in butter milk in such a way that they are completely immersed in them.
Keep them uncovered for minimum 3 days.
After 3-4 days, arrange them in a wide plate and sun dry.
It usually takes 2-3 days to lose all the moisture in them.
Once again immerse them in sour buttermilk for a day and again sun dry them till they lose all the moisture.
Notice the change in colour from green to silky cream with a tinge of green.
Store the preserved chillies in air tight container.
When required, deep fry them till they turn slight golden brown and serve with plain rice and dal/yogurt.

Majjige Menasu served with Rice & Dal

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Did You Know?
The hottest chilli on Earth is Indian, claim four scientists. They say that the pepper called Naga Jolokia from the north-eastern area of Assam where it is grown has beaten the Mexican Red Savina Habanero, widely-acclaimed as the hottest.
(Source: http://www.chillisgalore.co.uk/pages/chilli_facts.html)

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Majjige Menasu