Hyderabadi Mirchi ka salan ~ Desi Fusion Twist

Mirchi ka salan is an authentic delicacy of hyderabad. Kingly dish used to be served to kings and queens during reign of Nizams. The robust flavors of mirchi ka salan is a perfect partner to Hyderabadi Biryani.

Hyderabadi Mirchi ka salan

Ingredients:

Bajji Mirchi : 4 to 5

Shajeera / Caraway seeds : 1 tspn

Whole Masala : 2 cloves/laung, 3 cardamoms/elaichi, 1 inch cinnamon stick/dalchini and bay leaf

Oil : 2 to 3 tblspn

Butter or ghee : 1 tblspn

Turmeric: 1 Tspn

Salt : As per your taste

Red chilly powder : 1.5 tspn or more as per your taste.

Water : 250 ml

Fried onions: For garnish

Sliced onions : 1/4 cup

For Gravy

Peanuts : 1/4 cup

Sesame seeds : 1 tblpsn

Fresh coconut : 2 inches

Cumin seeds/jeera : 1.5 tspn

Tamarind : small lemon sized

water : 1/2 cup

Red chilies : 3 to 4

Method:

For frying Bajji Mirchi:

Place a frying pan on medium flame and add oil into it.
Let it heat. Slit bajji mirchi vertically and remove few seeds if possible.
Fry these bajji mirchin in oil until they little become tender or change lighter in color.
Remove them from frying pan and keep them aside.

For Gravy:

Dry roast peanuts, sesame seeds, cumin seeds and red chilies until they are warm and release aroma. Let them cool at room temperature.

Soak tamarind in water and let it rest for 5 mins. Now extract tamarind juice. Save it to grind masala paste.

Now transfer all the ingredients into a blender and blend it into a fine paste.

Keep the paste aside. Now on a medium flame place a heavy pan and add 1 tblspn oil or ghee or butter.
Let it heat. Add caraway/shajeera, cloves/laung, bay leaf/tej patta, cinnamon/dalchini, stone flower/biryani flower and saute.
Add onions and saute until it turns translucent.

Add turmeric and saute.

After 1 min add ginger garlic paste. Saute until ginger garlic paste mix up with onions and raw smell of ginger garlic paste is gone. On medium flame it taste 3 to 4 mins.
Make sure the bottom of the pan is not burnt. To avoid burning of onions add 1/2 tblspn of water.

Now add masala paste with 100 ml of water and mix well.

Add salt and red chilly powder.

Close the lid, turn the flame to simmer and let gravy cook for 3 mins on low flame. Now add add bajji mirchi and let it cook for 3 to 4 more mins with lid closed.

You can see gravy started to thicken up, at this stage add remaining water and stir.
Turn the flame to medium and close the lid. Let it cook for 5 to 6 mins.
Add Garam masala powder and Coriander seed powder/Dhania powder. Mix it into gravy and let it cook for 1 more minute.