Choose the chillies that are plumpy and less spicy. Rinse them with enough water and pat them dry on a kitchen towel. Next keeping the stem intact, slit each chilly from stem to end using a sharp knife.

Next take the buttermilk in a wide bowl and mix it with salt. Immerse all the slit chillies in buttermilk and mix thouroughly so that each chilly is well coated with salt and buttermilk. You can taste and adjust salt now. Leave this mixture overnight undisturbed.

Next day take only the chillies out and spread them on a plate. Reserve the buttermilk as is. Sun dry the curd chillies for 5 to 6 hours outdoors under HOT sun. When you take them indoors, put them back in buttermilk which is reserved. Repeat this soak-and-sun-dry process for at least 3 to 4 days.

Next, thouroughly sun dry the curd chillies for about 5 to 10 days or till they turn brittle and crisp.

To serve these curd chillies deep fry them in enough oil. They take just few seconds to get fried, so be cautious to remove early.

Spicy topping curd chillies are ready to pair with mild curd rice. Deep fry them as and when required and serve as accompaniment with mild rice.

Choose the chillies that are plumpy and less in spice. You can even remove the seeds to keep it less hot.

You can use thick and sour buttermilk or curds that is whisked.

You can enrich the curd chillies taste by adding roasted fenugreek, asafoetida and cumin powder too. Include them in the buttermilk along with salt.

Store them in airtight container and it will last for a year too.