Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan


mirchi-salan-curry-hyderabadi
Mirchi ka Saalan is a name known to many in Hyderabad, and perhaps other parts of India too. It is a spicy curry made with green chillies, or bell-peppers, for those who can't take the heat. But the beauty of the recipe lies in the freshly roasted and ground Masala paste, which gives it that aromatic and authentic taste that is cherished by Hyderabadis! Along with the spice kick, this curry has the unique flavor of ingredients like tamarind, coconut, peanuts, sesame seeds, and coriander. It looks like a lot of work, especially as you have to roast and grind the Masalas for the authentic fresh flavor, but let me tell you, its totally worth it! When you serve it with Parathas or simple plain rice, this is a taste that will surely linger in your memories!

Ingredients
8-10 large green chillies or capsicum slices
2 tbsp boiled onion paste (recipe here)
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
3 whole cloves
6-8 fresh curry leaves
2 tsp tamarind paste
oil for cooking
1 tsp jaggery solution or sugar (optional)
salt - to taste

Ground Masala Paste
2 tbsp Coconut
2 tbsp Peanuts
1/2 tsp Coriander seeds
1 tbsp Sesame seeds
a pinch of Cumin seeds
2-3 dry red Chillies

Method
Slit and deep fry the green chillies/capsisum in hot oil. Remove and keep aside to drain on a piece of paper.

Roast and grind together the ingredients for the Masala paste and keep ready.

Add the sugar or jaggery water to the tamarind paste, mix well, and set aside.

Now Heat oil and add the mustard seeds, when crackling add the cloves and the curry leaves. Mix the boiled onion paste and stir for 2-3 minutes. Add the ground Masala paste and continue stirring. Add the tamarind water paste, and mix well. Let the gravy simmer on medium-low lame, partially covered. Add some more water as needed to get desired consistency, and keep stirring once in a while to prevent the masala from sticking to the pan.

Finally, add the salt and the fried green chillies to the hot gravy. Adjust seasoning for taste, then let it boil on high for about a minute. Remove and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Serve the hot and spicy Mirchi ka Salan with some homemade Rotis or Parathas, and enjoy a kicking meal!

Related Recipes
Hyderabadi Bagahre Baingan
Spicy Bhindi Masala (Okra Curry)
Bharwaan Shimla Mirch (Bell Peppers)


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28 comments :

chef and her kitchen said...

Wow..Lovely salan...I love it especially with Biriyani's..yummy..

Parita said...

I love mirchi ka salan, we used to have get it with biryani in cafeteria..totally yummm..

Snooky doodle said...

THIS MUST BE SO GOOD :) I LOVE INDIAN FOOD ESPECIALLY SPICY ONES :)

Manju said...

love mirchi ka salan!! nice pic too..looks creamy!

Jaya M said...

Manasi,
this looks very good , I am sure it tastes great with rice.. what is boiled onion paste? do let me know..
hugs and smiles

lubnakarim06 said...

Oh wow this is my favourite.....Looks spicy and yum....

Khaugiri said...

Wow it's looking perfect! I was not knowing it can be prepared with Capsicum also. That's really GR8!

Pavani said...

Looks delicious. Tastes great with veg. pulao too. yumm.

Medhaa said...

I have all the ingredients will try it today. thanks for sharing

Kalyani said...

wow .. lovely curry ... very good combination with biryani's ..

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Nice recipe....lovely color

The Short (dis)Order Cook said...

I love all of the flavors in here - peanuts, coconut, tamarind. This would be good with so many things.

Trupti said...

salan looks delicious Manasi & lovely click

mona said...

Mansi, Mirchi Ka Saalan looks very spicy and delectable.
It tastes wonderful as an accompaniment with Biryanis.

Mansi said...

thanks guys! your wonderful feedback is always appreciated! and Mona, coming from a Hyderabadi like you, that is indeed a compliment!:)

Jaya, I've added the recipe link for Boiled Onion paste - it basically helps get rid of the raw onion smell, and also lends a better flavor to any curry

Le @HC said...

Nice picture Mansi.. Love Mirchi ka salan anytime, dear..

Rico said...

just love curry, and that one looks so creamy and super delicious with the bell peppers....spicy too marvellous :) xxx Rico-Recipes

mitr_bayarea said...

Have heard of this dish, but never tried it before. Looks delicious.

Lisa Turner said...

Chili lover that I am, I couldn't resist this lovely dish.

Dragon said...

I love the rich colour of this dish.

A_and_N said...

Please tell me you had this with Biryani :D

This brings back memories of singlehood in Hyderabad :P

Anonymous said...

Usually, your recipes work out well. So I couldn't wait to try this recipe, so I did today. Sadly, I felt like it tasted more like the south Indian "Gojju" rather than a curry. I felt that 2Tbsp of tamarind paste was too much, so after mixing it with sugar water, I used only half of it. Inspite of that, the "curry" was quite brown (had used 1tbs extra coconut btw) and the dominant taste was sourness. Was it supposed to be 2tsp of tamarind paste perhaps? No offense, but this was rather disappointing after so much effort! Hope someone can tell me what I did wrong (I followed all other ingredients to the exact measure). Thanks!!!

Mansi said...

Hi Anon - yes, sorry, that's my typo; it sould be 2tsp, not tbsp:( I apologise it put u to so much trouble! plus, try going with 1 tsp initially if you want, as you can always use tamarind paste or simple lemon juice later to increase sourness....also, all tamarind pastes are not the same, so its hard to go by a fixed amount. Like in any other cooking reicpe, I'd advise you to start with less, then add more if you need..hope you get to try this again!:) and sorry for the typo:(

karuna said...

that is absolutely mouth watering.

Kana said...

Looks wonderful!

Juliana said...

Love Indian food...this looks really great.

Kate- Aapplemint said...

This recipe is a must try for me. I love the consistency of your gravy. Cant wait to try this one out.

Humaira said...

Mansi, The mirchi ka salan is so tempting. I love eating it with biryani. I am a hyderabadi myself so really appreciate the post. I am also a new blogger. http://humairasfoodpassion.blogspot.com/ . Do visit :)