Recipe: Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan

Rediff reader Asiya Subhani shares a traditional Hyderabadi recipe with us. You can share yours too!

The Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan is a thick gravy made from a paste of roasted coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

It goes well with biryani, especially with chicken or mutton biryani, says Asiya Subhani.

Here's the recipe:

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan 

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes
Total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 100 gms long and thick green chillies
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 lemon sized tamarind extracted pulp
• 1 tomato cut into two halves
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp kalonji seeds(onion seeds)
• 1 tsp fenugreek seeds(methi seeds)
• 4 tbsp oil
• Salt to taste

For the masala

• 1 tbsp dry coconut
• 1 tbsp peanuts
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 medium sized onion thickly chopped

Method

• Heat a pan, dry roast each of these separately -- coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and coriander seeds and keep aside.
• In the same pan, add sliced onions, smear oil and roast for about two minutes.
• Allow all the ingredients to cool and blend them together into a fine paste.
• Add salt and turmeric powder to this paste and keep it aside.
• Heat a pan, add oil, kalonji seeds, methi seeds, mustard seeds. When they crackle, add green chillies.
• Cover the lid and cook for about five minutes.
• Lift up the lid, stir and cook for another five minutes on a medium flame.
• Remove the chillies from the oil and keep them aside.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, stir for few minutes and add masala paste.
• Cook until oil appears at the sides of the pan.
• Add tamarind extracted pulp and stir well.
• Add one sliced tomato.
• Add some water and salt, if required.
• Add fried green chillies into the curry and let it simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• When you see oil leaving the sides of the pan, switch off the flame.
• Serve hot with biryani or roti.

Notes

• When you're cooking masala, keep stirring and make sure it does not stick to the bottom.
• The green chillies can also be shallow fried in oil to make mirchi ka salan.
• If you find the gravy to be tangy, you may even add a pinch of sugar.

Photographs: Courtesy Asiya Subhani

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