• Take fresh red chilies. If you don't get fresh red chilies, you can use dry red chilies, refer notes.
  
• Rinse the chilies well.
  
• Next remove the stems and spread them on a news paper or cotton cloth. Let them dry completely, make sure there is no water content.
  
• Just before starting the grinding process, we need to prepare tempering. Heat oil in a small pan. Add in mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida. If using powdered asafoetida, add it at the end.
  
• Switch off the stove when mustard seed starts spluttering. Keep it aside, let it become cool.
  
• Also cut the lemons and extract the juice. Keep it aside.
  
• Next roughly chop the red chilies. Making 3 - 4 pieces should be alright.
  
• Next transfer chopped red chilies and salt into a mixer grinder and grind it. If required you can use lemon juice while grinding but do not add any water.
  
• Add in tempering prepared and grind it again for a while.
  
• Transfer it into a bowl. Add the remaining lemon juice. Adjust the salt and sour level. Store it in a glass container. You can refrigerate it for few months and use it. After 4 - 5 days, you can serve it with jolada roti or chapathi or rice.
  
• Below is the image of ranjaka prepared using dry red chili. I have soaked red chili in water for 2 hours and followed the same recipe.
  

Notes:

• Fresh red chili has to be used..however you can replace it with dry red chili.
• You can replace lemon juice with thick tamarind pulp.
• You can replace asafoetida with garlic, if you like the garlic taste.
• If preparing in large quantity, tempering can be added just before serving, for small quantity.
• Adjust salt and lemon juice quantity as per your taste.
• If using dry red chili, then either soak it or boil it or use as it is.
• Dry red chili gives you dry red chutney, which tastes equally good.