Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe
Mirchi ka Salan is a flavourful side kick to the popular Hyderabad Biryani. Learn how to make this easy version at home, step by step.
Ingredients
- 6 large green chillies any variety will do, choose less spicy ones
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil Indian gingelly oil
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons raw peanuts
- 2 tablespoons grated coconut dry, desiccated, or fresh
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 inch piece of ginger
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder jeera
- 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder I use Kashmiri chilli powder for colour and less heat
- 1/4 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds methi
- 1/2 cup sliced onions
- 1/2 cup tamarind extract 2" piece of tamarind soaked in 1/2 cup water and pulp extracted
- 1 pinch turmeric powder
- 1-2 dry red chillies
- 1/2 teaspoon jaggery powder or brown sugar
- A few curry leaves
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry the green chillies
- Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide pan and lightly fry the chillies until they are charred and start to look softer
- Drain and set aside on paper towels
- In a dry pan, roast the coconut until golden brown. Dry or desiccated coconut will brown much faster so keep an eye on it as you fry. Set aside when done
- In the same pan used for the chillies, add the peanuts and roast until a shade darker.
- Then add white sesame seeds and roast until the seeds turn golden brown, taking care not to burn them.
- Once they are done, add the roasted coconut to this and mix well.
- Switch off heat and transfer to a plate to cool.
- In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil
- Add the mustard seeds + fenugreek seeds.
- When the mustards pop, add the sliced onions and red chillies torn into pieces.
- Fry until onions turn golden brown.
- Next, add the curry leaves, ginger, garlic, and turmeric.
- Sautè for 30 seconds to 1 minute or until fragrant.
- Then add in the red chilli powder, coriander powder, jeera powder, and some salt.
- Roast for 10 seconds and add 1.5 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
- Meanwhile, grind the roasted coconut + sesame + peanut mixture with some water to a smooth paste.
- Add it to the simmering pan above and mix well.
- Continue to cook on a low flame.
- When the mixture is a bit thicker and simmering, add the jaggery and the tamarind
- Mix well and add the green chillies we had sautéed and set aside.
- Cook covered on a low flame for 5-7 mins until the green chillies are soft. Add more salt if required.
- Simmer until the oil separates in the gravy
- If you find that the mixture is too watery, you can simmer longer, and if it’s too thick, add more water or tamarind water as required. How much you want to cook it down is up to your preference. I like it on the thicker side so I cooked it down a bit.
Notes
Making a Mirchi ka Salan is not the quickest thing you can do and it does involve a lot more ingredients than the average dish. But trust me when I say it’s worth it. The day I made this Mirchi ka Salan, I just made a Rice Cooker Vegetable Biryani so that I can fully focus on this dish. The combination along with a simple onion and cucumber salad was a winner!