Mirchi ka Salan (Hyderabadi Chillies in Peanut-Sesame Gravy)
مرچی کا سالن (مونگ پھلی اور تل کے شوربے میں حیدرآبادی مرچیں)
In Hyderabad, a plate of biryani comes with two things: raita and *mirchi ka salan*. It's a curry of whole green chillies in a thick, nutty gravy of roasted peanuts, sesame seeds and coconut, soured with tamarind. The chillies used are the long, fat, mild kind (like *Bhavnagri* or banana peppers), so the dish is tangy and rich rather than painfully hot. The sauce is similar to the one used for the famous *baghare baingan*.
- ⏱ Total: 50 min
- Prep: 20 min
- Cook: 30 min
- Medium
- Serves 5
Method
Tap a step when it is done.
Dry-roast the peanuts, sesame, coconut, coriander and cumin separately until golden and fragrant. Cool and grind to a smooth paste with ½ cup water.
Slit the chillies lengthwise on one side and scrape out the seeds for less heat. Fry them in the oil for 2–3 minutes until blistered. Lift out.
In the same oil, crackle the mustard seeds, nigella and fenugreek, then add the curry leaves and onion and fry until golden. Add the ginger-garlic paste, chilli powder and turmeric and stir for 1 minute.
Add the peanut-sesame paste and fry on low heat for 5–6 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and the oil starts to separate.
Add the tamarind, jaggery, salt and water and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the chillies and simmer for 8–10 minutes more until the gravy is thick and oil floats on top.
Rest for 30 minutes before serving; the flavour improves. Serve warm with biryani.
Kitchen notes
Taste a chilli before you start. If they're very hot, soak the slit chillies in salted water for 15 minutes first.
The same gravy with small fried aubergines makes baghare baingan.
It keeps for 3 days in the fridge and tastes better the next day.
Biryani’s partner in Hyderabad
Order biryani anywhere in Hyderabad and mirchi ka salan arrives with it, often at weddings in a big separate pot. Its tangy, nutty gravy is moistening and sharp at the same time, cutting through the richness of the rice and meat in the way raita cools it.
The Deccan sauce
The gravy belongs to the Deccan plateau, where peanuts, sesame and coconut are roasted together and ground with tamarind. The same sauce is used for baghare baingan (stuffed small aubergines), another Hyderabadi classic. Roasting each ingredient separately until golden is what gives the deep, toasty flavour; take your time with it.
Chillies that are more flavour than fire
The green chillies used are large and mild, closer to a pepper. Scraping out the seeds lowers the heat further. Frying them first until blistered softens them and adds a slightly smoky taste.
Serving
Serve with Hyderabadi dum biryani or any biryani or pulao, including Pakistani favourites like chicken biryani. It’s also good with plain paratha.
Questions people ask
Which chillies should I use?
Long, thick, mild green chillies such as Bhavnagri, banana peppers or Turkish çarliston peppers. Thin hot chillies make it too fiery.
Can I make it without peanuts?
Yes. Use more sesame and coconut, or a few cashews.
Nutrition (estimate, per serving)
- Calories
- 230
- Protein
- 5 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
