MIRCHI KA SALAN

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Mirchi ka salan is a traditional Hyderabadi curry known for its rich, bold and well-balanced flavours. This dish is made using large green chillies cooked in a thick, aromatic gravy. Despite using green chillies, the dish is usually not overwhelmingly hot, as less spicier chilly varieties are often used.

Mirchi ka salan has a unique combination of taste. It’s not just spicy, but also tangy, slightly sweet and nutty. The gravy is prepared from a blend of peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut, which gives it a creamy texture and deep flavour. Tamarind puree is added to bring a pleasant sourness, while the spices enhances its aroma.

Mirchi ka salan is most commonly served as a side dish with HYDERABADI DUM BIRYANI, where it perfectly complements the richness and spice of the rice.

ABOUT THE RECIPE:

I’ve used larger size hari mirch for this recipe. The larger sizes of these chillies are usually mild green in color and are less spicier, compared to the smaller ones. Bhavnagri chillies or Indian variety banana peppers can also be used for this recipe. Indian variety banana peppers are commonly the least spicy variety of chillies, and also has a slightly tangy flavour to it.

*Mirchi ka salan is not meant to be extremely spicy, so avoid very hot chillies like small thin green chillies and bird’s eye chillies.

INGREDIENTS FOR MIRCHI KA SALAN:

FOR BLENDING:

• PEANUTS – 1/4 CUP
• SESAME SEEDS – 3 TBSP
• DESSICATED COCONUT – 3 TBSP

MAIN INGREDIENTS:

• GREEN CHILLIES – 7~8 NOS.
• ONIONS (MEDIUM SIZE THINLY SLICED) – 2 NOS.
• GINGER GARLIC PASTE – 1 TBSP
• CHILLY POWDER – 2 TBSP
• CORIANDER POWDER – 1.5 TBSP
• CUMIN POWDER – 1 TBSP
• GARAM MASALA – 1 TSP
• SALT – AS REQUIRED
• DRY RED CHILLIES – 3 NOS.
• MUSTARD SEEDS – 1 TSP
• CUMIN SEEDS – 1 TSP
• FENUGREEK SEEDS – 1/2 TSP
• TAMARIND – 25~30 GMS
• JAGGERY POWDER – 1 TSP(OPTIONAL)
• NEUTRAL OIL – 1 CUP

PRE-PREPARATION TO MAKE MIRCHI KA SALAN:

• Soak 25 to 30 grams of tamarind in water for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, squeeze it and extract the puree. Keep it aside.

• Make a slit on the chillies, and remove the seeds.

• Heat 500 ml of oil in a kadai, and add the deseeded green chillies to the oil and fry them.

• Transfer the fried green chillies to a plate and keep it aside.

HOW TO MAKE MIRCHI KA SALAN:

• Heat a pan/kadai, and add the peanuts to it.

• Roast them until the skin start to peel. Then, add the sesame seeds to it. Roast in on medium-high for 2 – 3 minutes.

• Then add the dessicated coconut to it, and roast it until it turns light golden brown in color. It takes around 1 to 2 minutes on medium-high flame.

• Once it turn light golden brown in color, turn off the flame. Let it cool down completely.

• Once it cools down completely, transfer it to a blender, and blend it to a fine paste.

• Heat a kadai, and add around 1 cup of oil to it.

• Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds to it.

• Once they start to fry, add the dry red chillies and sliced onions to it.

• Saute it until it turns light golden brown in color.

• Once it turns light golden brown in color, add the ginger garlic paste to it. Saute it for a minute.

• Turn the flame to medium-low, and add the chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, garam masala and salt to it.

• Mix it well. Let it cook on medium-low for 1 minute.

• After 1 minute, add the blended paste to it.

• Add 1 cup of water to the blender, wash it and add the water to the kadai. Also, add the fried chillies to it, and mix everything well.

• Turn the flame to medium-high, and let it cook for 3 to 4 minutes. It will start to thicken.

• At this stage, turn the flame to medium-low, cover it and cook it for another 20 to 25 minutes.

• After around 25 minutes, open the lid. The oil would’ve started to separate.

• At this stage, add the tamarind puree to it. Mix it, cover it and cook it for another 10 minutes.

• After 10 minutes, open the lid. The gravy must be thick, and the oil should’ve separated. At this stage turn off the flame. If the gravy is still watery, turn the flame to medium-high and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes or until it thickens.

YUMMY AND DELICIOUS MIRCHI KA SALAN IS READY.

SERVE IT WITH YOUR FAVOURITE HYDERABADI DUM BIRYANI.

I HAD MIRCHI KA SALAN WITH HYDERABADI CHICKEN DUM BIRYANI AND ONION RAITA.

VARIATIONS:

• Bhavnagri chillies or Indian variety banana peppers can also be used for this recipe.
• Spiciness can be adjusted according to our preference.
• 3 tablespoon of readymade tamarind paste can be used instead of tamarind puree.
• I haven’t added jaggery powder in this recipe. Adding jaggery powder gives a mild sweetness to the recipe. It can be added along with the tamarind puree or at the end.

PRO TIPS:

• Deseed the green chillies before use. Adding the green chillies along with seeds increases the spiciness of the dish.
• Fry the green chillies in oil and then add it to the gravy. Adding chillies without frying makes it mushy.
• Saute the onions until light golden brown for maximum flavour.
• This recipe requires a little extra oil compared to the other regular gravies.
• The gravy must be cooked on medium-low, until the oil separates. This gives the maximum taste and flavour for the recipe.
• Since, I don’t prefer sweetness in this recipe, I haven’t added jaggery to it. Jaggery can be added at the end. Once the recipe is done, taste it and add jaggery if you prefer mild sweetness to it.