What are Curd Chillies? Here's a Curd Chillies 101
What are Curd Chillies?
Curd chillies don't refer to any specific chilly, but rather a preservation process.
Names in four major South Indian languages:
majjiga mirapakaya / challa mirpakay (Telugu) |
mor miligai (Tamil) |
mosaru meṇasinakāyi / sendige menasu (Kannada) |
thairu mulaku / thairu kondattam / mulaku kondattam (Malayalam)
(here's a little before and after glam shot!)
How do you make Curd Chillies?
We use mildly spicy chillies called finger hot chilies, grown in the USA, de-seed them and soak them in a spiced buttermilk, and then sun dry over a span of 10 days.
How do Curd Chillies taste?
During this process, the chilies develop a tangy, yogurty, ever so slightly cheesy flavor. It is an incredibly unique taste and a must-try!
How are PODI life Curd Chillies different?
Besides being incomparably fresher, PODI life Curd Chillies are substantially less salty, and less spicy. We chose this route in order to pack all the flavor, while reducing the dominating heat factor in store-bought Curd Chillies, consequently, making them a real flavor-packed treat!
(top: Indian Grocery Store bought Curd Chillies, below: PODI life Curd Chillies)
I have some PODI life Curd Chillies with me, what do I do?
aaaaah! we're so thrilled for you. Here's an instructional video for how to fry your Curd Chillies.
Also read the instructions below.
Detailed Instructions:
- Take any little frying pan, add enough neutral oil to be able to submerge the chillies (any frying oil will do, avoid cold-pressed oils or flavoring oils like olive, sesame and peanut).
- Get the oil to heat up on a medium to medium-high flame, this ensures the oil heats up evenly and doesn't smoke up.
- Now break off a small piece of the Curd Chilly and add it to the hot oil; it should immediately start frying and rising up to the surface. If it doesn't, then you need to wait for the oil to heat up some more!
- When the oil is ready, drop the chillies into the hot oil, keep a slotted spoon ready to scoop out the fried chillies.
- You will be able to fry the Curd Chillies in 15-20 seconds, not more!
- Once removed from the hot oil, place the fried chillies on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- Be very careful to avoid burning the Curd Chilly! (pictorial reference below). Note that there will be variations in how the chillies fry, but ensure they look like this: don't go beyond the darkest brown that's in this picture.
How do I eat Curd Chillies?
Have it as a snack with a chilled beer or other sparkling beverage.
Add fried and crushed Curd Chillies to your mac n cheese or South Indian Curd Rice or mix thoroughly into just hot, plain, steaming, white rice - with a drizzle of ghee to make a uniquely flavored rice side-dish.
Use fried and crushed chillies to flavor popcorn (thank you to Chitra, of Brooklyn Delhi for this pro tip!)
Sprinkle on salad greens (esp. arugula or cress) or spice up room-temp butter or any creamy cheesy spreads!
BON APPETIT 🤎
