Recipe for Mirchi Ka Saalan

Biryani without Mirchi Ka Saalan is incomplete. Mirchi Ka Salan is a gravy dish whose hero is Mirchi (Green Chillies). Fried green chillies are cooked in a rich, nutty and tangy gravy. The gravy is made using nuts, seeds and spices. Salan prepared this way is a perfect accompaniment with Biryani.

In restaurants, Biryani is served with Onion Raitha (yoghurt mixed with sliced onions and some basic spices) and Mirchi Ka Salan. The combination tastes amazing.

From where does Mirchi Ka Saalan originate?

It is said that this dish originated in the kitchens of the royal palaces of the Mughal Kings who ruled India during the Middle Ages. These days, it is common to see Mirchi Ka Saalan served at Muslim weddings, and it is a common accompaniment to Hyderabadi-style dum biryani served in restaurants.

How does Mirchi Ka Salan taste?

Mirchi Ka Saalan is savoury, nutty and tangy. Mixing chillies, nuts, seeds, and tamarind with fried chillies gives it richness. When served with Biryani, this richness is balanced by the freshness of raitha. Mirchi Ka Saalan is made with a good quantity of oil in restaurants. However, at home, you can reduce the amount of oil and still have a great-tasting dish.

What is the basic process of making Mirchi Ka Salan?

Green chillies are slit and deseeded. Then, they are deep-fried and kept aside. Separately, a gravy with ingredients such as peanuts, sesame seeds, dry red chillies, tamarind, etc, is prepared. Then, the two are combined and cooked. The process is simple, and this side dish can be made in very little time.

Can chillies in Mirchi Ka Salan be replaced with other vegetables?

Yes, but the most delicious gravy is indeed with green chillies. I live in Germany, and I have access to these chillies (shown in the picture below), which are easily available in Turkish shops. I find them quite suitable for Mirchi Ka Saalan.

However, a common replacement for chillies in Mirchi Ka Saalan is brinjal. Small round brinjals are given a cross-cut. A paste of ginger, garlic and salt is rubbed on the inner part of the brinjal. Then, the brinjals are shallow fried. Then, they are mixed with gravy. 

Tamatar Ka Saalan is another variant, but the recipe differs slightly from this one.

Now, let’s start with the recipe for Mirchi Ka Saalan:

Recipe for Mirchi Ka Saalan

Equipment Needed:

• Pan
• Mixer grinder
• Knives

Ingredients needed for Mirchi Ka Saalan:

1. Big Green Chilies: 4-5
2. Peanuts: 2 tablespoons
3. Sesame Seeds: 2 tablespoons
4. Poppy Seeds: 2 tablespoons
5. Sesame oil: 2 tablespoons for the gravy, 2-3 tbsp for frying the chillies and 1 tbsp for frying curry leaves
6. Coriander Seeds: 2 tablespoons
7. Tamarind Juice: 1 cup ( extracted from lemon-sized tamarind pulp)
8. Onion: 1, medium-sized, roughly chopped (optional)
9. Garlic: chopped, 1 tablespoon
10. Ginger: chopped, 1 tablespoon
11. Curry leaves: 8-10
12. Dry Red Chilies: 4-5, or depending on how hot you want it to be
13. Asafoetida: 1/3 teaspoon
14. Grated Coconut: 2 tablespoons
15. Turmeric Powder: 3/4 teaspoon
16. Salt: 1 teaspoon, or according to taste
17. Water: About 2 cups, needed for grinding and adjusting the consistency of the gravy.

Method for Making Mirchi Ka Saalan:

1. Heat one tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan. On low to medium heat, fry garlic and ginger. Then add peanuts, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and coriander seeds. In this step, you can optionally add thinly sliced onions.
   
   
   
2. Fry them on medium heat for about 5-8 minutes till the nuts and seeds are well-toasted. Mix continuously.
   
   
   
3. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool. Meanwhile, wash and deseed the green chillies. Deep fry them in oil OR shallow fry them in a few tablespoons of oil. Once fried, keep them aside.
   
   
   
4. In a mixer grinder, add coconut and the cooled mixture.
   
   
   
5. Grind them into a fine paste by adding about a cup of water.
   
   
   
6. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a pan. Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Fry them on medium heat for about 15
   
   
   
7. Then, add the ground paste, followed my turmeric powder and salt.
   
   
   
8. Add tamarind juice and boil it for about 1-2 minutes. Add a little more water if the gravy looks too thick.
   
   
   
9. Add the fried chillies.
   
   
   
   
10. Cook on medium heat for another 2-3 minutes. Then, turn off the heat.
    
    

Delicious Mirchi Ka Saalan is ready!

Here is the recipe in printable format:

Some additional Notes:

1. For my readers in Germany: Most of the ingredients needed for this recipe are available in Indian shops. I have used the chillies for this recipe from a Turkish shop. In Turkish shops, a wide variety of chillies are available. You can check them out.
2. Fresh coconut is not so easily available in Germany. Even the ones available in supermarkets are often found to be spoilt. You can replace it with dry coconut. It is available by the name ‘Kokosraspel‘ in German supermarkets. Alternatively, you can get frozen grated coconut in Indian shops.
3. Fresh curry leaves are not available in all Indian shops. Use the dry ones ( in packets) available in Indian shops.

Check out my Mushroom Biryani and Chicken Biryani Recipes, which you can pair with Mirchi Ka Saalan.

Check out other recipes from my kitchen here.

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