Mirchi ka Salan

5 from 5 votes

This Mirchi ka Salan is a dish to love. For one, it's really not as spicy as you might assume. And for another, it's delicious, especially when eaten with a vegetable biryani or naan.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Curry

Cuisine: Hyderabadi, Indian, Soy-free

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 266kcal

Author: Vaishali · Holy Cow Vegan

Ingredients

2 tablespoon avocado oil or any neutral oil
8 oz shishito peppers (slit from top to bottom and deseeded, if desired. You can use another mild pepper like cubanelle, banana peppers, pepperoncinis etc. but the weight might differ. You need about two cups of peppers at least.)
½ cup peanuts
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon poppy seeds
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
6 cloves garlic
1 inch ginger root
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon fenugreek seeds or methi seeds
½ teaspoon onion seeds (kalonji)
½ jalapeno pepper (minced, optional)
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 level tbsp tamarind concentrate
1 cup fried onions (you can make your own but I just use storebought, like French's. Any brand will do just as well)
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon ground coriander
Salt to taste

Instructions

Make a paste of the cumin, ginger and garlic with a mortar and pestle or in a food processor.
Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a wok or skillet. Add the chili peppers and saute over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until brown spots appear. Remove the peppers to a plate and set aside.
To the same wok or skillet, add ½ tablespoon oil and add the sesame seeds, poppy seeds and peanuts and saute until the peanuts look glossy and the sesame and poppy start to change color. Remove to a blender and blend into a very smooth paste with the coconut milk. Set aside.
Heat the final remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or skillet and add the mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and onion seeds, if using. Once the mustard sputters, add the jalapeno, if using, curry leaves and the ginger-garlic-cumin paste. Saute for a minute or two.
Add the turmeric and coriander powder, stir to mix, then add the tamarind concentrate. and the blended sesame-peanut paste. Mix well and saute the paste over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the paste begins to come smoothly off the bottom of the skillet and appears to ooze oil. This should take about 7-8 minutes.
Add 2 cups of water. Mix well, bring to a boil, then add the chili peppers into the sauce. Bring the curry back to a boil and let it simmer for another 5 minutes. If it looks too thick, add more water.
Add salt. Turn off heat and serve hot.

Nutrition