Mor Milagai Recipe | Sun Dried Chillies with step-by-step pics and a short Youtube video. If you like my video, please do SUBSCRIBE to my channel ‘Asmallbite’. This Mor Milagai tastes super drooling and one of the most popular condiments of South Indian Cuisine. Green chilies are marinated in sour curd for few days and then sun-dried. It is also called Mor Milagai in Tamil, Sun-dried Curd Chilies in English, Sandige Menasu in Kannada, and Dahi Mirchi in Hindi. Furthermore, it is a summer special recipe as full sunlight is needed and it takes about 10 to 12 days for the chilies to turn perfectly crispy. Though there is nothing recipe-wise or a long list of ingredients is needed, what you need is patience. It tastes too good with Curd Rice, Millet Curd Rice, Temple Style Curd Rice, Ulundhu Kanji, and Ragi koozh.
Continue reading for more Tips and FAQ’s
✔ About this Recipe
This is the most popular condiment of South Indian Cuisine. In this recipe, green chilies are marinated in sour curd for few days, then sun-dried completely and fried whenever needed. It tastes too good with Curd Rice, Millet Curd Rice, Temple Style Curd Rice, Ulundhu Kanji, and Ragi koozh.
✔ Made with just 3 Ingredients
- Green Chillies – long stout, short, thin, or small ones can be used.
- Curd / Buttermilk – sour curd or buttermilk is suggested to get a tangy taste
- Salt – Salt quantity is purely your choice, it would be enough to take out the spiciness of the chilli.
✔ Storage and Shelf life
- Stays good for 1 year when stored in a clean and dry container.
Frequently Asked Questions
✔ Is making a slit or small holes is a must in the sun dried chillies?
- Not a must, but it helps the curd mixture to seep inside the chilies.
✔ How many days the chillies should soak in the curd or buttermilk?
- At least for 4 days so that curd and salt get inside.
✔ Where the remaining curd or buttermilk mixture should be kept, when the chilies are sun drying?
- It should be kept on the kitchen counter only, never refrigerate it.
✔ Expert Tips to avoid the formation of fungus in the chilies
- After rinsing the chilies well, then pat dry them thoroughly.
- Use a clean ladle to mix the chilies, don’t use your hands initially.
- After storage, dry it once in 2 months for 1 hour in sunlight
Check my other Vathal / Vadam Recipes like

மோர் மிளகாய்

Mor Milagai Recipe | Sun Dried Chillies
Equipment
- Stovetop
Ingredients
1 Cup = 250 ML, 1 tsp = 5 ML
- 30 Green Chilli / பச்சைமிளகாய்
- 1 Cup Sour Curd / புளித்த தயிர்
- 3 to 4 tsp Salt / உப்பு
Instructions
- Wash the chilis and pat dry them thoroughly. Then, slightly slit them in the center. This step is to get the curd mixture to seep inside the chilies or make 2 to 3 pricks with a needle. Also, keep the stems, and don't remove them.Then, measure sour curd, salt, and the slit chilies ready.Notes: Use sour curd or buttermilk only to get a tangy taste in the chilies.Quick Tips: Can use any variety of green chilies like the long stout variety or thin or short or small ones.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the curd, water (to dilute the curd a little), and salt. Whisk it once just for 1/2 minute not more than that.
- Now, add the slit chilies. Then, mix well with a clean ladle for marination.Notes: Never use your hands and ensure the ladle you use is moisture-free to avoid fungus formation.
- Cover the marinated chilies and keep them aside on the kitchen counter. The next morning mix the chilies once and ensure there is no fungus around the chilies. Remove the chilies from the curd mixture and place them on a dry plate or tray. Also, keep the remaining curd mixture in the vessel, as we are adding the chilies back into the same at the end of the day. Do not refrigerate this mixture, let it be on the kitchen counter itself.
- Place the plate under the sun for the entire day. At the end of the day, the chilies would have changed in color and shrunk a bit.
- Now, keep the chilies back into the vessel which had the curd mixture. Allow it to marinate the entire night.The next morning, mix the chilies into the curd mixture and ensure the chilies are well coated with the remaining curd.
- Spread the chilies again on a plate and keep them under the sun to dry.Repeat the same process (for 4 to 5 days) the next day, by mixing with the remaining curd mixture and sun-drying it.The curd mixture will be mostly absorbed by the chilies. The drying of the chilies helps to absorb more curd mixture every day.At the end of 4 days or 5 days, you will have a very little curd mixture and will be like a thick paste.
- It took 11 days for me for the chilies to turn crisp. At last, the chilies would have shrunken in size and changes in color. Dry it under the sun until the chilies are completely dry and dehydrated. Then store them in a dry and airtight container.Frying the chillies: Once oil is heated up, lower the flame and then fry the chilies until brown color.Make this Mor Milagai Recipe during this peak summer season.
Video
Notes
Tips for Sun-Dried Chillies
- Any variety of green chillies like long stout, short, thin, or small ones can be used.
- Always rinse the chillies well, then pat dry them thoroughly. This step helps to avoid fungus formation.
- Slit the chillies in the center slightly or prick it with a needle in 2 to 3 places. It helps the curd mixture to seep inside the chillies.
- Always use sour curd or buttermilk only to get a tangy taste on the Sun-Dried Chillies.
- Salt quantity is purely your choice, it would be enough to take out the spiciness of the chilli.
- Use a clean ladle to mix the chillies, don’t use your hands initially. It may lead to bacterial or fungus formation.
- Always, take out the chili alone and dry in the hot sun on a plate, then spread well. Let it dry for the whole day.
- When drying the chilies, don't keep the curd mixture inside the fridge. Let it be on the kitchen counter itself.
- It is a must to soak the chilies at least for 4 days so that curd and salt get inside.
- This Mor Milagai Recipe, takes about 10 to 12 days to dry completely depending on the sunlight in your place. It should completely change in color, shrunken in size, and turn crispy.
- These Sun-Dried Chillies stay good for 1 year when stored in a clean, dry container. Dry it once in 2 months for 1 hour in sunlight and then store it to avoid fungus formation.

Sun Dried Chillies
Method for Mor Milagai Recipe
1. Wash the chilis and pat dry them thoroughly. Then, slightly slit them in the center. This step is to get the curd mixture to seep inside the chilies or make 2 to 3 pricks with a needle. Also, keep the stems, and don’t remove them.
Then, measure sour curd, salt, and the slit chilies ready.
Notes: Use sour curd or buttermilk only to get a tangy taste in the chilies.
Quick Tips: Can use any variety of green chilies like the long stout variety or thin or short or small ones.
2. In a large mixing bowl, add the curd, water (to dilute the curd a little), and salt. Whisk it once just for 1/2 minute not more than that.
3. Now, add the slit chilies. Then, mix well with a clean ladle for marination.
Notes: Never use your hands and ensure the ladle you use is moisture-free to avoid fungus formation.
4. Cover the marinated chilies and keep them aside on the kitchen counter. The next morning mix the chilies once and ensure there is no fungus around the chilies. Remove the chilies from the curd mixture and place them on a dry plate or tray. Also, keep the remaining curd mixture in the vessel, as we are adding the chilies back into the same at the end of the day. Do not refrigerate this mixture, let it be on the kitchen counter itself.
5. Place the plate under the sun for the entire day. At the end of the day, the chilies would have changed in color and shrunk a bit.
6. Now, keep the chilies back into the vessel which had the curd mixture. Allow it to marinate the entire night.
The next morning, mix the chilies into the curd mixture and ensure the chilies are well coated with the remaining curd.
7. Spread the chilies again on a plate and keep them under the sun to dry.
Repeat the same process (for 4 to 5 days) the next day, by mixing with the remaining curd mixture and sun-drying it.
The curd mixture will be mostly absorbed by the chilies. The drying of the chilies helps to absorb more curd mixture every day.
At the end of 4 days or 5 days, you will have a very little curd mixture and will be like a thick paste.
8. It took 11 days for me for the chilies to turn crisp. At last, the chilies would have shrunken in size and changes in color. Dry it under the sun until the chilies are completely dry and dehydrated. Then store them in a dry and airtight container.
Frying the chillies: Once oil is heated up, lower the flame and then fry the chilies until brown color.
Make this Mor Milagai Recipe during this peak summer season.

Mor Millagai Recipe
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