Mor Milagai
Sun-dried buttermilk chillies — fresh green chillies soaked in salted diluted yogurt (buttermilk) for two days, then spread on woven trays and dried in the summer sun until completely dehydrated and the surface becomes wrinkled and white-coated with the dried buttermilk. The dried chillies are stored and deep-fried to order in hot oil — they swell and blister instantly, softening slightly while the outer coating turns golden. The buttermilk soaking tempers the raw chilli heat into a rounder, more fermented heat with a slight tang; the deep-frying develops nutty, roasted flavour notes. Eaten alongside rice as an accent — one or two mor milagai with every mouthful of plain rice and ghee or rasam rice. The dried-chilli condiment that every Tamil Brahmin home prepares before the hot season ends.
Cuisines
Best for
Recipe
Ingredients
| 10 pieces | green chilies |
| 1 cup | thick yogurt |
| 1 teaspoon | salt |
| 1 cup | water |
| 1 teaspoon | fenugreek seeds |
| 1 teaspoon | asafoetida |
| 1 tablespoon | oil |
Instructions
- 1 Wash the green chilies thoroughly and pat them dry with a clean towel.
- 2 In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, salt, and water to make a buttermilk solution.
- 3 Soak the green chilies in the buttermilk solution for 2-3 days, ensuring they are fully submerged.
- 4 After soaking, remove the chilies and spread them on a clean cloth under the sun to dry for 2-3 days until they are completely dried and shriveled.
- 5 Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
- 6 Add fenugreek seeds and asafoetida to the hot oil and sauté until the seeds turn golden brown.
- 7 Add the sun-dried chilies to the pan and fry them until they are crisp.
- 8 Remove from heat and let them cool before serving.
Tips
Ensure the chilies are fully dried before frying to achieve the best texture and flavor.