Saturday, January 19

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.

6 comments:

pRiyA said...

oh my! what have we here?? it's yet another recipe! no wait, there's TWO recipes!!now why doesn't that surprise me? is it because i've been blessed with great powers of prediction?
i love chillies and the piece with the pink chillies dancing around the recipe is so cute!!!
pongal,cheesecake,chillies...what next? i'm waiting...

Maya Sara Matthew said...

Not to worry about the recipes, I have a limited supply of them - all quick & simple so you won't see many featured. Ha! Ha! but I hope to create more of the embroidered recipes which you'll get to see.

Anonymous said...

I Like your embroidered recipes - very nice!

Timaree said...

You gave the recipe for Molaga Podi and say to eat it on Adai. What is Adai? Do you just sprinkle some of the Molaga Podi on it?

Your "recipe card" is very cute.

Maya Sara Matthew said...

Hello Freebird,
Adai is similar to a pancake but made of a rice & lentil batter,that's cooked on a hot griddle, its spicy.If you ever go to an Indian restaurant try & taste a dosa, its something like that.Dosas can be addictive, be warned.

zlamushka said...

Wow, I just found it. How lovely, i am very surprised why this link would not show at my technorati. I am glad you liked it. I eat mines with rice dishes, like fired rice or pulao. it is a lovely accompaniment. I also chop the pickles really finelly and mix well. This way I have it as chutney to idlis or curries to add a bit of a sweet tang (like mango chutney).

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