Pandu Mirapakaya Niluva Pacchadi | Andhra Red Chili Chutney

Andhra is known for its spicy pickles - Avakaya,Gongura and Pandumirapakaya(Red chili) Pacchadi being the most famous.During the season we get fresh red chillies in the market,it is usually ground with tamarind and salt and is stored in clean air-tight bottles for over an year.When we need to serve it with rice,scoop out a small portion of the pacchadi and temper it with mustard seeds and asafoetida in generous amount of oil.It is really a fiery chutney and if you are not used to spice, it can even bring tears in your eyes.We usually mix it with hot steamed rice and dal powder or kandi podi and a big dollop of ghee.It mellows down the spiciness to an extent and makes it very tasty too.

Pandumirchi Niluva Pacchadi | Red Chili Chutney Recipe:

shelf life: upto one year

Ingredients:

1 kg Fresh Red chillies

250 gms Tamarind

1 tsp Turmeric powder

250 gms Salt

Method:

• Wash and wipe the fresh red chillies,remove the stalks and dry them on a kitchen napkin for 3-4 hrs until the moisture on top of red chillies is dried up completely.
• Clean the tamarind and remove the fibres and keep it ready.
• Grind red chillies with tamarind,salt and turmeric powder to a coarse paste.DO NOT add water while grinding.

Store it in air tight glass bottles.They stay good for several months to an year.

Pandu mirapakaya Pacchadi for Rice:

Ingredients:

2-3 tbsp Pandumirchi Niluva Pacchadi(as prepared above)

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

a pinch of Asafoetida

Method:

• Grind pandumirchi niluva pacchadi with few tbsp of water to a smooth paste.
• Heat oil in a small pan and crackle mustard seeds and asafoetida and add this to pandumirchi pacchadi and mix well.

Serve it with hot steamed rice,dal powder/Kandi Podi and ghee.You can serve chopped raw onions along with it.

Notes:

1. This Niluva Pacchadi would be very spicy initially and it reduces its spiciness over a period of time.
2. You can use any variety of spicy red chillies to make this pacchadi.
3. Pandumirchi Niluva pacchadi can be stored for long,when you need to serve all you need to do is to add a tempering of mustard seeds and asafoetida and add it to the pacchadi and mix.