This paper presents the design, construction, and testing of a simple solar dryer for food preservation, which is designed, constructed and tested in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Gurukula Kangri Vishwavidyalaya, Haridwar, India. Its construction was completed using mainly inexpensive locally available materials to make it relatively inexpensive for the average poor farmer living in rural areas. Experimental analysis is performed for both natural and forced convection on solar air dryers. The performance of natural and forced convection is compared. The maximum obtained tray temperatures were 72°C and 203°C, respectively, in natural and forced convection, and the moisture removed from red chillies were 64% and 78%. The drying rate and the system efficiency were 26.67 gm/hr and 57.45%, respectively. The maximum price to construct this dryer is Rs. 2,000, therefore, it can be an alternative to expensive dryers, allowing it to be used by local farmers.