01 March, 2007

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


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

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



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)



Majjige Menasu

42 comments:

  1. It surely adds a zing to a bland menu. I just love it with dal and rice or just plain curd rice. Its raining outside here and your post reminded me of the full pack of these that my mom packed for me...yayyyy :-)
    Can these be oven dried...I never get such good sunshine here...so was just wondering if these could be oven dried ??? Any thoughts ??

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  2. Love these dahi mirchi with dal /rasam/curd and rice. We call it mor milagai. I always used to buy this in the Indian store. never tried myself...good one and the picture is inviting.

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  3. Love it with curd rice. We call it mor molagai. Always get it from my patti (grandma). The stems are the tastiest! yummm..I am going to fry a few today for dinner. Thanks!

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  4. @priya,
    i have never tried it in oven priya. actually its much easier with deep frying method and requires very less time. and i can't eat more than 2 chillies at a time:)
    do let me know how it turns oven dried.

    @prema,
    mor milagai is it? this is home made one by my mom and i just love it:)

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  5. @shn,
    try checking again shn. i am not sure why u r not able to see the pic. grrr... blogger prob:(
    please let me know if u cant see the pics again dear.

    @hema,
    oh yes. even i love its stem:) its salty and crunchy:) he he.. i am glad that my post reminded u to fry some for dinner:)

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  6. Sia, mor milagai(Majjige Menasu, love the name) reminds me of my grand mother. This and curd rice oh dear heaven

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  7. Hi Supriya,
    Dahi mirchi that too sun dried and fried,taste must be soo...oo..per. Supriya you have a khazana of recipes :)This mirchi will taste good with khichdi too :)

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  8. Hi Sups!

    Nice Write up!!!We use to have it with dhal, sambar rice,sometimes with curd rice...but never tried at home.
    Thanks for sharing buddy!!!

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  9. Excellent pair with curd rice. Last week I had masala poha with crushed majjige meNasu at my friends place. Its just good however you use it.

    Are there any pictures in this post? I couldn't see any.

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  10. I thought Habanero was the hottest.Great info there woman.All that free time is benifiiting my knowledge,thank you! :P

    I make Balaka and Sabudana sandige when it gets 98F and more here in summer,only buy in winter.I love it with yoghrt and rice.Slurp.I see you made sprouted moong too.Yummy.

    My ajji makes Akki Happala in Mysore,haven't made it 'cos don't know how to make it.It spreads like huge thatte when fried.Doe you mommy know? *begging here* :D

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  11. I love this one. Last summer I made at home, usually my mom/ mil sends from India. We call it "Perugu Merapakayya".

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  12. I didn't know about this until I started blogging and saw them in Indira's blog. Then I saw a packet of these in our Indian grocery stores too
    And now I see it here, and am itching to taste it

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  13. Liked your write up too Supriya,, ahhh those memories. What is Sendige ?

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  14. @ISG,
    he he.... thats is a cute name isn't it? majjige means buttermilk and menasu means chilli in kannada:) and yup... with curd rice its just heaven:)

    @archu,
    it doest taste soo...oo..per:) he he... and thanks for the great idea:) ia m gonna have it with khichidi:)

    @usha,
    thank u dear:) my ma usually makes it and i got this big dabba from home. its a little treasure isn't it?

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  15. @manjula,
    u r absolutely right. it can spice up any mild dish and goes with any dish:)
    i got same comment from shn also. donno whats the prob is:( plz let me know if u cant see it next time when u visit dear.

    @asha,
    sabudana sendige? wow... i just love it... its so light and tasty.
    ashakka... sandeepa has asked me what sendige is. my brain cells are on strike at a moment;) do u know what its called in hindi/english by any chance?
    i will ask my mom/mil and get the akki happala recipe and mail u soon:)

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  16. @padma,
    yeah... even i got this from india padma. my ma made it. here i cant trust the weather:)

    @sandeepa,
    if u like spicy touch in ur food then u will love this girl. its quite spicy and eaten with mild dal and curds. remember to take small bite:) usually 1-2 will be more than enough for one meal.
    i am not sure what sendige is called. its actually smaller version of(very small) papads. my ma knows atleast twenty different recipes of making sendige. she makes them using rice, sabudana as asha sai, onion, garlic etc etc.

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  17. WOW supriya
    u are tempting me to mak ethem at home.normally when i go to my mother's house i bring them.if it over i bought.we love them very very much.i never tried at home..will try this time..

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  18. Balaka menasu with besi besi ganji thuppa or balaka mensu with mosaranna ....oh boy the best combo ever isn't it? Love it. Loved the picture

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  19. Rain, Coffee, Papads...and thunderstorms!
    Gawd, Supriya, you sure do bring back fond memories when you write stuff like this....all the more reason I need to go to India right??

    Dahi Mirchis...I think I have had these before..they are good with all kinds of meals!

    Hugs,trupti

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  20. Another set of photos making me crave this plate, Supriya, even with that super-hot homemade chili! So colorful and tempting, yum :)

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  21. Even I cant see the pictures Supriya! :-(

    Latha

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  22. Wow, I love milagu! Have it with curd rice mostly! Btw, how do manage to post a recipe almost everyday??!! :)

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  23. ohhh lord help....I can' see my beloved Mirchis...okay thats done it...I am on a fast till I get to see the pic...Sia..email em to me before I die of hunger....~grin~...BTW thanks for the note on my blog...~awaiting in anticipation~...

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  24. @swapna,
    i have got one big box here. do u want me to parcel some?;)

    @seema,
    yup... anything and everything with balaka is good:)

    @trupti,
    am i? he he he...

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  25. @linda,
    oh!!! u have them in ur pantry right? don't eat them just like that girl. enjoy it with yogurt rice and dal:)

    @latha,
    i have uploaded the pics again... gawd... now a days, this blogger is acting too smart:( i hope u can see the pics now latha. do let me know dear...

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  26. @jyothsna,
    everyday??? nope... i have so many recipes in my draft girl. trying to clean them whenever i get time:)

    @dilip,
    hey dilip bhai...kem che? maja ma che?(err!!! thats all i know in gujarathi;)
    i have uploaded the pics again. so u should be(hopefully) able to see them now. just let me know if u still have prob with viewing tehm:)

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  27. Hey Sia,I just had my lunch and sat to comment on blogs.Suddenly,6 of your posts popped up in my blog roll!!I thought 'Oh dear,she is on a cooking spree in her free time' and then what do I see?!
    Your old posts!!!BBB,Capsicum rice,Bonda etc.I was pleasantly surprised and went thru' them all happily!They are fab. recipes,I didn't know you had BBB too.
    Well..just wanted to tell you that.Bye..some typing to do for next post:)

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  28. @ashakka,
    i was working on my blog... i haven't updated them since long time... so was busy with blog-cleaning;)
    i usually love to cook from scratch and BBB is no BBB if u don't cook from scratch:)
    got so many posts in my draft... will start post them one after the other:) happy weekend ashakka:) will catch u soon.

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  29. @asha,
    i can't comment on ur blog:( grrrr... i am gonna register a complaint against blogger.com....

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  30. Hi Sia! Lovely pics. I once had a version filled with sesame seeds and have been hankering for them ever since - tried making them at home but they rotted :(
    As for sandige, do you mean vadis (we call them vadiyalu in Telugu)? You deep-fry them in oil and they are crunchy accompaniments. Those?

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  31. Hi Sia,

    First time here...loved the dish...not to mention the mangoes...made me long for them...

    By the way, I'm from Assam and the supposedly hottest chilli in the world is called bhut jolokia. In fact we used to have a plant in our house and my word, are they hot!!!!

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  32. I have two boxes of them from India - they do taste delicious. Never tried making them on my own. The dal chawal is making me hungry...

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  33. My mom makes these always. I cant tell you how much I am missing them. Somehow I forgot to get it when I came here from India. Looking at your picture, my craving has started again :(.

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  34. Normally we take it with curd rice. Nice photos. Viji

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  35. Hai,We call "Kondattam mulakku".I like to have the back part(stick)..Also we will crush that and mix with curd to have with rice..Nice presentation as usual..

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  36. Sia,Lovely pic !quite a hot post that's making me fry one this very instant :)

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  37. ohh my dear friend...what lovely Dahi Mirchi...i had them a very long time ago...i am gonna try it...but what a minute...do I have wait for the heavy monsoon days here in the uk before I can eat them...plus sun dry...ohh my what here in the UK...does that mean I have to wait till the summer...ahh well...how can you tease me like this...~grin~...thanks for sharing and a mention in your post...hey just made some curd....want some...~smile~...

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  38. @sra,
    sesame stuffed chillies? i have never seen or tries it. sounds quite interesting.
    yeah...i think vadiyalu and sendige is one and the same.

    @sunita.
    welcome to spice corner:) yup... thats the same chilli u r talking abt. i would like to atlest see them if not try;)

    @mandira,
    they are some little treasure, isn't it?

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  39. @shilpa,
    do u want me to parcel some girl?

    @viji,
    me too... i love it with curd rice.

    @KF,
    thanks for the info girl:) its really tasty isn't it?

    @lera,
    thank you... he he... HOT is the word;)

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  40. Hi Sia,
    We all love this with curd rice. Nice picture. Thanks

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  41. @dilip,
    no dilip bhai... u don't have to wait till monsoons;) will parcel some to ur door step only if u send me some homemade curds:)

    @MT,
    thank you dear:)

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