So the next Andhra style pickle recipe that I am going to share is made with spicy red chillies, called as pandu mirapakayalu. During summers that is the peak pickle season in Andhra, we get fresh red chillies. Traditionally these red chillies are hand pounded with salt and turmeric powder. This stays well for over a year stored in ceramic jars and whenever needed, all one has to do is temper it. Pandu Mirapakaya Pachadi is ready in a jiffy!

I very distinctly remember my grandma, meticulously making different pickles every summer. She would travel back to our hometown right in time for the pickle season and make the best pickles in the world. She made pickles that lasted an entire year for our whole family and that includes three of my aunts, uncle and us. As a kid, bringing these pickles home from the railway station, opening up each jaadi (large ceramic jars), taking in the bright colors and wonderful aroma – those memories are worth a million dollars. We make these pickles in small batches now but at least keep the tradition going.

I have literally never seen fresh red chillies in Bangalore and we grabbed it with both hands, when we spotted them at a super market recently. Dad likes Pandu Mirapakaya Pachadi quite a lot and I have to agree with him that it tastes out of the world with Gongura Pachadi. That’s right, we like to mix two extremely spicy things together and set our tongues on fire 😀 Check out the other Pickle recipes on my blog!

How to make Pandu Mirapakaya Pachadi | Andhra Red Chilli Pickle

📖 Recipe

Detailed step-wise picture recipe of making Pandu Mirapakaya Pachadi | Andhra Red Chilli Pickle

  1. In a mixer jar add washed and dried fresh red chillies along with turmeric powder and salt.

  2. Blend it into a not so smooth paste. Add tamarind pulp and pulse it a few times until it mixed well.

  3. Meanwhile heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and cut dried red chillies. As they splutter, add asafoetida. Switch off the flame.

  4. Add fenugreek powder to the ground red chillies paste. Mix well.

  5. Now add the cooled down tempering and mix well.

  6. Store in an airtight container in fridge for shelf life upto 3 or more months. Serve it with hot rice and ghee.

Recipe Notes

Adjust the amount of salt depending on the spiciness of the red chillies. I made fenugreek powder by dry roasting 2 teaspoon of fenugreek seeds until fragrant and grinding it into a smooth powder. Tamarind Pulp is made by boiling tamarind in enough water, extract the pulp.

I would be delighted to know if you have tried this recipe, don’t forget to share your feedback and comments below. If you have any questions, you can e-mail me! I am also available on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter 🙂