Thayir Molagai - Mor Molagai - Kondatam Molagu - Dry curd Chilly

Today I am Sharing with you a traditional recipe for Thayir Molagai / Mor Molagai / Kondatam Molagu / Dry Chilli.

The Chilli that is soaked in buttermilk and sundried adds a nice flavour and make it yummylicious and the best of the best accompaniment to the humble curd rice.

The store bought ones are just soaked in salt and dried. Hence they miss the flavour and taste of this home made version.

This recipe requires direct sunlight, Patience and Care. Patience is required as we need to slit or pierce each chilli and then the process of 14 days to complete making this. Direct sunlight is must to dry the chillies everyday till it is ready to fry. Care is to  mix them well for first four days after soaking and to dry them in sun and again at the end of the day, put them back into the remaining buttermilk. The outcome rewards you with excellent taste and worth all the appreciations you will receive.

I used the spicy variety of dark green chilli to make this. There is no need for any exact measurement except the consistency of the buttermilk.

I used the following for making one batch.  It takes upto 14 days to make one batch of this yummy chilli preparation.

1. Green Chillies - 1/4 kg
2. Lightly sour buttermilk - upto 1 litre
3. Salt to taste

I tried making a self shot video to explain the 1st stage preparation process. Hope it helps.

Wash the Green Chillies and pat them dry.

Pierce each chilly and or lightly slit them. This process is very essential to avoid exploding of the chillies when they are fried in oil in later stage during use and also to help it soak in the buttermilk and absorb the salt.

Put them in a vessel. I use a Kal Chatti (stone vessel).

Put salt and pour the buttermilk till the chillies are soaked well.

Soaking period - minimum 4 days (every day, remember to mix them atleast twice in a day)

If you notice, the green color is fading as it gets soaked in buttermilk each day.

On the 5th day, take them out of the buttermilk and spread on a sheet or a plate and sun dry them. Reserve the buttermilk. We will use it again and again for soaking till all the buttermilk is absorbed and becomes dry.

After sun drying them, at the end of the day, put them back in the remaining buttermilk.  

Repeat this process of sundrying during day time and putting them back in the remaining buttermilk to soak overnight , till all the buttermilk is absorbed.

Finally sun dry them for 2-3 days more till they are nice and crispy and store them in an air tight container.

Whenever you need them, shallow fry or deep fry them in Oil and serve with Curd Rice.

This chilli after fried, can also be crushed in curd / buttermilk and had as a side dish for Dosai.

Frying :- For frying, once is oil is hot (in medium flame), put the chillies and lower the heat immediately. once they are crisp and bubbles slows down. Drain them.

Storage of chillies :- Store in an air tight container. For the fried ones, put a tissue paper at the bottom of the storage container and then store them.

Suggestion : In the similar manner you can make other Vathals (soaked in curd and sun dried using Sundaikai [Thai brinjal / Turkey berry] and Manithakkali [Makoi / garden night shade]

Ellodharai - Ellu Chadham - Til Chaval - Sesame Rice

Hi There!

Today I am sharing with you a healthy rice recipe made using black Sesame seeds / Til (hindi) / Ellu (Tamizh)

Sesame seeds are good source of Calcium, Iron, Magnesium etc.

Traditionally this rice is made on Saturday and offered (Neivedhyam) to one of the Navagraha Bhagvan  - Shanishwaran (Shanishwar).

For Shani Bhagavan Slokams you can click "Here"!!

Sesame oil is considered as the best oil and good for heart health. Using sesame oil (til oil) will enhance the flavour and taste of this rice.

Here is the recipe for this quick and easy rice variety.

You will need :-

1. Cooked Rice - 1 cup

For powdering :-

1. Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp
2. Urad Dal - 1 tsp
3. Red chillies - 1 No. (or as per your preference)
4. Black pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
5. salt to taste

For tempering :-

1. Asafoetida - 1 pinch
2. Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
4. Curry Leaves - 5 nos.

Procedure :-

• Heat a wok, dry roast the ingredients given for powdering and coarsely powder them.

• Heat sesame oil and add mustard seeds. Once they start spluttering, add the asafoetida powder and then the curry leaves.
• Switch off the gas and add the ground powder, salt and then the cooked rice.

• Mix them well

Ellodharai is Ready!!

Sukha Bhel - Dry Bhel

Sukha Bhel is one of the snack that you enjoy as a street food in the city of Mumbai. Sukha means dry... unlike the bhel puri where the tamarind and green chutneys are added to it, this has a humble green chilly chutney mixed with herbs to make the bhel more interesting.

In the Gas Station here, there is always a big queue for filling and waiting is definitely not an interesting thing until the arrival of Bhel Wala. Few hesitate and few like me just get out and explore the taste of the street food.  This tasty bhel help time pass till our turn arrives. I tasted it again and again and I tried to find the different flavours that comes in the bhel and experimented in my kitchen lab and finally presenting the nearest one to the authentic bhel recipe.

What you need for the Bhel :-

1. Bhel (Murmura / Pori / Puffed Rice)
2. Coriander leaves - finely chopped
3. Onion - finely chopped
4. Tomato (optional) - finely chopped
5. Fine sev
6. Roasted channa dal
7. Lemon
8. Green Chutney for sukha bhel

For the sukha bhel Green chutney :-

1. Finely chopped Onion - 1 tbsp
2. Garlic pod - 1 no. (big)
3. Finely chopped coriander leaves - 1 tbsp
4. Curry leaves - 6 nos
5. Green Chillies - 10 nos. (or as per your preference)
6. Chat masala - a pinch
7. Lemon juice - 1/4 tsp
8. Salt - use only a little as the puffed rice, roasted gram and the sev has some salt
9. Roasted gram (chutney dal / pottu kadalai) - 2tbsp

Grind together the ingredients mentioned except lemon juice... add little bit of lemon juice and give a final grinding.

For making the Bhel :-

Keep the ingredients ready and Mix them just before serving.

In a mixing bowl, add the ingredients given for the Bhel and mix well. 

You can serve in a bowl or roll a cone out of paper or the pamphlets and make it more intereting.

Garnish by squeezing few drops of lemon juice and sprinkle little coriander leaves and the roasted gram and little sev on top.

Tasty and flavourful Sukha Bhel /Dry Bhel is ready!!! 

Vathakuzhambu / Vathal Kuzhambu

Vathal Kuzhambu or Vathakuzhambu is a simple dish that has mixed taste to satisfy the taste buds. Tangy, Spicy, lightly sweet and salty accompaniment that goes well with Rice, Dosai or Chapati.

Vathal Kuzhambu could be prepared using any Vathal (dried berries / veggies) or with onion / shallots.

What is Vathal? A vathal is made by soaking the berry or veggies like cluster beans in buttermilk and sun dry them. First they are soaked in salted buttermilk for two days, then they are sun dried the 3rd day, at the end of the day, again put inside the same buttermilk and next day same process is repeated... like this soaked till all the buttermilk is completley abosrbed and then finally fully sundried for two more days. It is a lengthy process for a week but the end result is awesomely droolicious. The one we get in store is just salted sans buttermilk. Hence, they may not taste as good as the home made ones.

Now getting into the vathalkuzhambu making.... The one i show here is using shallots and Manathakkali Vathal (black night shade / Makoi [hindi]).  You can see them in the above photo.

Ingredients :-

1. Tamarind - one chikoo (suppota / sapodilla fruit) size
2. Sesame oil - 2 tbsp (only sesame oil. no other oil will give a flavour to this dish)
3. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
4. Hing (Asafoetida) powder - 1/4 tsp
5. Curry Leaves - 2 sprigs
6. Vathal (dried berry / veggie) - 1 tbsp
7. Shallots - 6 nos (Finely chopped)
8. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9. Red chilli powder - 1 heaped tsp or as per taste
10. Jaggery - 1 big lemon size
11. Sambar powder - 1 heaped tsp

Procedure :-

• Extract Tamarind water. 

• Heat oil in a wok and add mustard seeds. After they splutter, add the vathal (dried berry), shallots and fry well. 

• Add curry leaves, hing (Asafoetida powder) and fry for few seconds.

• Add tamarind water, turmeric powder, sambar powder, red chilli powder, jaggery and bring to boil. Then lower the flame. Occasionally stir it.  Let it boil till it thickens and the oil floats on top. 

• Delicious and humble vathakuzhambu is ready!

This can be stored in fridge for more than a week. A handy dish that can be served with Cooked Rice / Dosai or Chapati.