Sandige menasu recipe | How to prepare buttermilk chili | Majjige menasu | Balaka menasu
By Latha on April 4th, 2018
Sandige menasu or majjige menasu recipe explained with step by step pictures and a video. Sandige menasu are sun dried buttermilk chilies. The green chilies are marinated in salted buttermilk and is sun dried. Sandige menasu or buttermilk chili is familiar by name majjige menasu and balaka menasu as well..
All these sun dried items are familiar by name either sandige or happala (papad) in Kannada language. Menasu translates to chili and majjige translates to buttermilk. Generally during summer, varieties of sandige and happala (papad) are prepared, stored and consumed throughout the year. Especially in Malnad and Karavali region...as it heavily rains there. Munching on some spicy fryums or papads along with the lunch during those cool-cool rainy or winter days is a bliss!
Both my Mother and Mother-in-law prepares a lot of fryums and papads every year. I don't prepare them much as I get parcel from both the houses. I don't have good access to sunlight as I live in the apartment. Still I have managed to post 2 papad recipes on this website like genasina happala or sweet potato papad and halasinakai happala or raw jack fruit papad recipes. I am planning to post many more recipes in coming days.
There are two different ways to prepare sandige menasu or buttermilk chili. The first method is directly soaking the slit green chilies in the salted butter milk and then drying. The second method is boiling them in the salt water, drying them and then soaking in the butter milk. I have followed the second method as my Mother told me that the second method is better.
I have filed this recipe in pickles-fryums-powders section. I have filed all masala powders, chutney powders, thokku, pickles and papad recipes in this section. All are very useful recipes. Do have a look..
I have made a quick video on this recipe with Kannada narration, which I have embedded it below. Kindly have a look.
Preparation time: 4 - 5 days
Cooking time: 10 min
Serves: 1 cup
Ingredients: (measuring cup used = 240ml)
- 1/4 kg green chilies
- 1/2 cup sour buttermilk
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 2.5 tsp salt or as per your taste
Instructions for making sandige menasu or majjige menasu:
- Rinse, clean and pat dry the green chillies.
- Next either trim or remove the stalk. Also make a small slit in the middle. If the chillies are not spicy, jump to step 7. You can see non-boiling method in the video given above.
- Now take a cup of water and 2 tsp of salt in a pan. Keep it for boiling.
- Wait until the water comes to rolling boil.
- Add in slit green chilies, give a quick mix and switch off the stove.
- After about 5 minutes, drain the water.
- And then spread them on a plate and keep it out in the sun for drying.
- This is how they looked at the end of the day.
- Keep it for drying in the sun for the second day as well. And this is how they looked at the end of the second day.
- Keep it for drying in the sun for the third day as well. And this is how they looked at the end of the third day.
- And third day evening, take sour buttermilk, 1/2 tsp salt and asafoetida in a bowl. If you don't have buttermilk, whisk some curd and then dilute it by adding little water. Add 2 tsp of salt if you have skipped the boiling step.
- Immerse the sun dried chilies in the butter milk and give a quick mix.
- Mix them well in the night again.
- Leave it overnight. Next day morning mix it well again and spread it on a plate. Then keep it out in the sun for drying.
- Keep it out for drying for next 1 or 2 days until they are fully dried and crisp. Store them in a container and use it when required.
- Now either deep fry and serve them along with the lunch or dinner or use them in the tempering.
Dear reader, We have a Kannada version of this recipe. Click here to read this recipe in Kannada.
Dear Reader,
I am Latha and I am very happy that you have visited our website. Lot of efforts have been put in creating each and every page on this website. If you like this recipe, kindly share it with your friends by clicking on the icons given below. Feel free to write to me at "kannadavegrecipes@gmail.com". Thank you so much and keep visiting!!