Mirchi ka salan is a classic side dish for biryani from Hyderabad cuisine.
Mirchi means chili and salan means a thin gravy often served with rice. Here green chilies are cooked in a a thin gravy or curry with peanuts, sesame seeds, coconuts and few other Indian spices.
For more side dish recipes please check veg korma, chilli paneer, veg kheema masala, matar ka nimona recipes.
Hyderabadi Mirchi ka salan is a delicious biryani side dish with chilies as main ingredient. Fried chilies are added to flavorful salan gravy in this recipe. This is always served as side dish for biryani in Hyderabadi weddings and restaurants.
Salan usually refers to thin curry or gravy. Tamatar ka salan, Ande ka salan are few popular variations of salan. However I have made it a bot thick as we prefer it this way.
About This Recipe
Have you ever had biryani in an Andhra restaurant or a Hyderabadi wedding? In those places biryani is always served with a thin side gravy known as salan.
Salan in Urdu means curry and was first made in Hyderabad.
It is a mildly spicy yet rich gravy made of freshly ground spices . The base of the gravy here is coconut-onion paste.
Unlike north Indian curries, this salan is a bit thin and spicy. In some recipes yogurt is used to cut the spice but here I have not used it. So it is a gluten free and vegan mirchi ka salan recipe.
Though always served with biryani, this salan tastes wonderful with plain steamed basmati rice, paratha, naan, jeera rice, coconut rice etc.
Along with chilies you can add many other vegetables in this recipe, please check the variations I have mentioned.
This is a super easy recipe and you will be able to make salan that tastes exactly like the ones from Hyderabadi restaurants,
This mirchi ka salan recipe can be easily halved or doubled and you can vary the spices to suit your preference. I have also me
Serve this delicious salan curry piping hot and enjoy a wonderful meal!
This Mirchi Ka Salan
Hyderabadi special recipe
Super flavorful
Delicious with robust flavors
Perfect side dish for biryani
Vegan and gluten free.
Ingredients
To make traditional Hyderabadi mirchi ka salan you will need the following simple ingredients. Most of the ingredients mentioned here are staple in south Indian kitchens.
Chilies– You can use any variety of chilies here. If you can prefer super spicy salan you can use all green chilies. For a milder version you can use any chili pepper varieties like banana peppers as I have used here. Another option would be to use bell peppers.
Tamarind– Tamarind pulp is added for I have used dried tamarind, which I soaked in warm water to make mirchi ka salan. You can also use ready made tamarind paste in this recipe.
Peanuts– Peanuts are used in the spice paste and it lend a wonderful nutty flavor and slight sweet taste to this curry.
Sesame seeds– These seeds also lend a wonderful nutty taste and flavor to the curry. You can use black or white seeds.
Coconut– Forms the base of the curry along with onions, tomatoes. Use freshly grated coconut or unsweetened frozen coconut flakes or dry coconut (kopra)
Onions, tomatoes– for flavor and taste.
Others- Spice powders like coriander powder, ground turmeric, whole spices like cumin.
Expert Tips
Select plump and light chilies for making mirchi ka salan if you prefer a mildly spiced salan. Chili peppers used for making fritters is a common choice for this recipe.
If you prefer you can even remove the seeds from the chilies, you can make a cut and remove them before frying.
Roast the peanut and sesame seeds in low flame until they turn aromatic. Roasting in low flame is very important as they tend to get burnt pretty quick. If they are roasted properly mirchi ka salan will have a raw aftertaste.
To cut the spice level of this curry further you can add 1/2 cup well whisked yogurt or curd to the curry. Make sure to use fresh thick yogurt and whisk it very well else the curry may break.
Traditionally poppy seeds are also used in this Hyderabadi mirchi ka salan recipe but I generally don’t add them.
Instead of tamarind you can just add 1 teaspoon lemon juice before serving.
Variations
Instead of green chilies in this mirchi ka salan recipe you can add
- quartered tomatoes, just add them after the salan gray is cooked to make tamatar ka salan.
- Sauteed capsicums to make capsicum ka salan
You can also try bagara baingan recipe which is very similar to this salan gravy.
How To Make Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan?
Rinse and cut the banana peppers into long strips, you can discard the stem if you prefer.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cut chilies. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until they slightly wilt. Keep aside until use.
Heat a pan and dry roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds and peanuts until nice aroma wafts out.
Cool and grind to a coarse powder.
Take 1 roughly chopped onion, 1 roughly chopped tomato, 3 tablespoons grated coconut, 1/2 inch ginger,2-3 cloves garlic in a mixer jar. Grind to a very smooth paste.
Heat a pan with 3 teaspoons oil. Add mustard seeds, methi seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds and let them crackle. Add curry leaves and saute well.
Now add the ground spice paste and mix well.
Next add chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, peanut-sesame powder and mix well.
Add salt and saute well till the masala leaves out oil.
Add around 1 1/2 cups water and mix well. Next add the tamarind pulp and mix well. Cook till the salan boils and reduces in volume. You can keep the consistency as per your preference. Add more water if needed.
Add the fried chillies and toss gently. Simmer mirchi ka salan for 2-3 minutes.
Serve mirchi ka salan hot with rice/biryani.
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Recipe Card
Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan
1 CUP = 250 ml
Ingredients
For Salan Gravy
- 7 chili peppers less spicy variety
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon nigella seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon thick tamarind pulp
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 10-12 curry leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon methi seeds
- Salt
- 3 teaspoons oil more to fry chili peppers
For dry spice powder:
- 2 tablespoons peanuts
- 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
For Spice paste
- 1 onion
- 1 tomato
- 1/2 inch ginger peeled
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 3 tablespoons grated coconut
Instructions
- Wash and cut the banana peppers into long strips, you can discard the stem if you prefer.
- Heat the oil and for the cut chilies until they wilt and shrink. Keep aside.
- Heat a pan and dry roast sesame seeds, cumin seeds and peanuts until nice aroma wafts out. Cool and powder.
- Take onion, tomato, 3 tablespoons grated coconut, 1/2 inch ginger,2-3 cloves garlic in a mixer jar. Grind to a smooth paste with little water.
- Heat a pan with 3 teaspoons oil in medium heat. Add mustard seeds, methi seeds, cumin seeds, nigella seeds and fry for a minute. Also add curry leaves and fry.
- Now add the ground spice paste and mix well. Next add coriander powder, turmeric powder, peanut-sesame powder and mix well.
- now add salt and saute well till the masala leaves out oil
- Add around 1.5 cups of water and mix well. Add the tamarind paste and mix well. Cook till the salan boils and reduces a bit in volume. You can keep the consistency as per your preference by adding more water if needed.
- Finally add the fried chilies and toss gently. Simmer for 2 minutes. Serve mirchi ka salan hot with biryani or rice.
Notes
2. If you want to make a thinner gravy add 2 cups water.
Ambicka says
This looks wonderful. I love all salan recipes.