Today this recipe of mine marks 150th recipe on my dear blog! So, I wished to keep it a special one, one of my favourites and also a special dish from the Hyderabadi cuisine and one dish that perfectly adhered to all categories above was Mirchi ka salan or like we say in the plural form mirchiyon ka salan. This is my personal favourite as my biryani is incomplete without this being my side. And nothing worse for a Hyderabadi to have its Biryani's taste spoiled.
Mirchi ka salan literally meaning pepper curry is a rich curry with the base of selected ground ingredients like coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts. It is rich in taste and the richness is further exalted with spices like mustard seeds (rai), cumin seeds (jeera), nigella seeds (kalonji) and fenugreek seeds (methi). Out of context, but I've recently read and like to share that 63% of the world's cumin seeds is consumed in India.
Like I mentioned above, Mirchi ka salan is generally an accompaniment to biryanis along side Dahi ki chutney. Here, as you will see in the picture below, it is served with Methi Vegetable Pulao. While this curry can be made with any type of green peppers I am sharing the recipe using green bell peppers or capsicum or shimla mirchi.
This recipe is absolutely easy, a beginner level one and very quick to make when you have got all the ingredients ready on hand. This recipe can be halved or doubled as per need. Here comes the detailed recipe :-
Ingredients:
- Capsicum - 7 to 8 nos
- Tomatoes - 4 nos
- Dry coconut - 1 no
- Peanuts - 4 tbsp
- Sesame seeds - 4 tbsp
- Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
- Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
- Nigella seeds (kalonji) - 1 tsp
- Fenugreek seeds (methi) - 1 tsp
- Curry leaves - 2 sprigs for tempering + 2 sprigs with twigs
- Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
- Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
- Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
- Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
- Salt - to taste
- Tamarind extract - 1 cup
- Oil - 5 tbsp
Method:
- Dry roast coconut, sesame seeds and peanuts. Grind to a fine paste altogether or one by one and remove to a plate. Add about a spoonful of water to keep the paste moist.
- To the ground paste also add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt and ginger garlic paste.
- Take a fistful of tamarind and soak it in water for atleast 15 to 20 minutes. (The longer you soak, the better) Extract the juice and keep aside till ready to use.
- Wash the capsicum well. Cut the stalks(not entirely). Using a sharp knife make two small slits one horizontal and other vertical like in the picture below.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.
- Add the seeds - mustard, cumin, fenugreek and nigella.
- Once they crackle add the curry leaves followed by capsicum. Cover with lid and cook till the capsicum gets fried or begin to change their colour. Stir frequently in between.
- Next, add the grounded masala paste with 1/4th cup of water.
- Now add in the extracted tamarind juice.
- Cut the tomatoes into quarters or halves like in the picture below. Add them to the gravy.
- Cover and cook on low flame till it comes to a boil and also till the tomatoes have softened a bit. Adjust the amount of salt.
- Add the curry leaves with the twig just as they are like in the above picture followed by chopped coriander leaves.
- Cook on low flame for another 5 to 7 minutes. Turn out the flame.
- Serve hot with rice.
Even though this curry is made specially to accompany biryani or pulao it tastes equally good with simple plain steamed rice and papads or Boondi. Do try it!
If you are looking for more capsicum recipes then do check out Carrot capsicum rice, Onion capsicum masala, Lobia chawal, Fresh green salad and Lobia salad from My Mom's Kitchen.
Do try and share your thoughts with me.
Happy Cooking!!!
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