Mirchi Ka Salan / Italian pepper curry in creamy sesame coconut peanut sauce

Mirchi ka salan is a very famous curry from the hyderabadi cuisine. It uses all the locally grown produce like peanuts and sesame seeds  abundant in the state of Andhra pradesh.
I have never tasted this curry before, but heard lot about it after I started blogging. It has been in my bookmarked list for a while and finally got to do it.
It tasted excellent and reminds me of bhagara baingan.
Mine was medium spicy , thanks to the kick from those peppers. But, if you want it mild, remember to deseed the peppers.

Ok, let us get to the recipe. The list may seem exhaustive, but easy to make it. One can use even japeno peppers, but..

Just, hold on... get your tums, malox, zantac or any other gizmos if you have a lighter stomach:))

Get Ready: ( serves 2)

• 6 Italian/ banan peppers
• 5 pearl onions
• 1/4 cup dry roasted, unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 cup grated coconut
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1 tsp coriander seeds
• 1 long red chilli
• 1/4 tsp hing/ asafetida
• 1 small marble sized tamarind, soaked in 1/2 cup water and extracted
• 2 tbsp jaggery or to taste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 2cardamom
• 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 1/2 cup water
• few curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• salt to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds

Go:

• Cut the stem/ kambu of the pepper, and slit them but not in halves. De seed them if you don't want it spicy.
• In a pan, dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut separately. peanuts will become golden, sesame seeds will pop and coconut will turn golden. Set aside.
• Add a 1 tsp of of oil and fru the pearl onions for a few mins and keep aside.
• In the same pan roast the coriander seeds, red chilli and hing with the oil that coated the pan. set aside.

Enough of roasting, I promise...

• Now grind the peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut, red chilli, pearl onions, jaggery, hing with the tamarind extract into a smooth paste. This is your gravy base.
• In a pan add the remaining oil, do the tadka with mustard seeds, cumin & curry leaves.
• Add the peppers and sear them on either side. They will turn white, make sure you don't burn them.
• Then add the ground masala to the seared peppers.
• Add salt to taste, turmeric, redchilli powder and 1/2 cup of water. if the gravy is too thick add more water to the desired consistency.
• Let it come to a boil, cover and simmer for 5 mins.

Turn the heat off and serve with plain rice, pulav, biriyani or rotis.


Enjoy!