Preparation time : 20 minutes
Cooking time : 15-20 minutes
Serves : 6 members
Description
Hyderabad is one place, I have not visited yet. Every holiday we plan a trip there but some how or the other it does not work out. Having a huge gang of my school mates from Hyderabad kept me glued ( and is still ) to what they all had to say all about this age old city. Though I got to hear so much about its rich cuisine, never did I get a chance to relish it. Once , at my home town in Tirunelveli. We were invited for a wedding who’s native was Hyderabad. They had served us authentic Hyderabad meal for lunch. The entire wedding hall was filled with the aroma of the Hyderabad biriyani. At the lunch table we were served a grand feast. The mirchi ka salan was my favourite that helped me to gulp in a lot of the mildly flavoured Hyderabad biriyani. Later, I managed to get the recipe from our friend’s family. Once in a while I substitute the regular ennai katharikaaei or katta with this mirchi ka Salan as an accomplishment for biriyani. When ever … where ever served it’s always followed with a “recipe please .. umm and ahh’s “.
Do I need to brag any more about this dangerously delicious side dish.
Ingredients
Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Bangalore chilly / Italian pepper ( bajji milagaaei in Tamil ) | 1/2 kg slit from the tail up to the middle of each chilly |
| Curd | 300 grams |
| Ground onion paste | 1 cup |
| Tamarind pulp | 1/2 cup |
| Curry leaves | few |
| Poppy seeds | 1 tablespoon |
| Turmeric powder | 1 teaspoon |
| Cumin powder | 1 tablespoon |
| White sesame seeds | 1 tablespoon |
| Coriander powder | 1 tablespoon |
| Tomato | 4 ground to a paste |
| Fenugreek seeds | 1/4 teaspoon |
| Ginger and garlic paste | 1 teaspoon |
| Red chilly powder | 2 teaspoons |
| Groundnut | 1/4 cup powdered coarsely |
| Grated coconut | 2 tablespoons |
| Mustard seeds | 1 teaspoon |
| Coriander leaves | few chopped |
| Oil | 4 tablespoons |
| Salt | to taste |
Method
- Grind white sesame seeds, grated coconut and poppy seeds together adding little water to get a smooth paste.
- Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves. Once they crackle, top with onion paste and ginger + garlic paste. Sauté until raw smell vanishes for about five minutes, stirring constantly making sure the bottom does not burn and oil separates.
- Add red chilly powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, cumin powder, groundnut powder, ground tomato, curd and salt to taste. Sauté for seven minutes until oil floats on top. Add ground coconut mixture paste and mix well. Boil further for two minutes making sure the bottom does not burn.
- Top with slit Bangalore chillies, tamarind paste and water as needed to cook the chillies. Mix well, cover and cool. Once the chillies are cooked, Simmer for five until oil separates. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot as a side for biriyani, plain rice and pulao.
