Chillies - Red and Green

This week I've had to replenish the Molaga Podi also known as Gun Powder ( for very obvious reasons). R loves to eat Adai with Molaga Podi mixed with curd ( yogurt) or oil. Molaga podi is made with dried red chillies and lentils and since I had a large supply of fresh green chillies ( I always have a Tupperware container of green chillies in the fridge) I decided I would make a bottle of Raisin Stuffed Chili Pepper Pickles which I came across at Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen. I regularly visit this blog which is devoted to Chillies and all things spicy - how wonderful is that!

So without further ado here's the recipe for Molaga Podi

MOLAGA PODI

Ingredients:
Urad dal - 1 cup
Channa dal - 1 cup
Dry red chillies - 4 cups
Asofoetida - 1 tsp.
Salt to taste

Roast the dals with the asofoetida in a teaspoon or two of oil until the dals are golden brown in colour. Similarly roast the dry red chillies.
Grind the roasted dals and chillies until a powder and add salt to taste.
I like simple recipes that require local ingredients and the method is quick and straight forward.


I plan to translate simple recipes into embroidered pieces which I can frame and put up on a wall. I've made 4 and I think the Raisin Stuffed Chilli Pepper Pickles will lend itself to embroidery very well.

RAISIN STUFFED CHILI PEPPER PICKLES

Ingredients:
Green chillies
Raisins
Pickling solution (1:1:1) Water, Vinegar, Honey

Wash the green chillies and cut off the tops of the chillies. I used the tine of a fork to loosen the seeds in the chillies, then I rolled the chilly between my thumb and fore finger to get the seeds out. The chillies I used were terribly spicy because at the end of the exercise my fingers were tingling and burning like crazy! So if you have sensitive skin please wear gloves for the de-seeding process.
Next stuff the chillies with raisins, as Zlamushka suggested I used a chopstick to aid the process.Pack the stuffed chillies tightly into a steralised glass bottle which has a lid which screws on tight.
In the mean time combine the ingredients for the picking solution in a vessel and bring to the boil, take off the fire and allow to cool. Pour the solution into the jar with chillies.
Now the next bit was something new for me. Place the pickle jars in a big pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Allow to cool, take the bottles out of the water and store in a cool dark place for about 3 weeks.
I think they will be great in a sandwich but that's going to take 3 weeks.

The bottle of Raisin Stuffed Chili Pepper Pickles.
I have a bottle of the pickling solution so I'm going to put in some raisin stuffed chillies and some sambar onions (shallots), that should be an interesting variation.