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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