Malika Begum's Mirchi ka Salan

vegan | gluten free | contains peanuts
start to finish: about 2 hours
serves 4 to 6 

This is a traditional recipe from my maternal aunt, Malika Khala. Spicy, sour and sweet this green chili ‘curry’ is laden with onions and can be eaten as a main course when served over rice or with warm naan. In this version of the well-loved dish, black poppy seeds (khus khus) play a central role too. In Hyderabad, while not everyone is a proponent of the mildly nutty black dot of a spice in their mirchi ka salan, many families view poppy seed as an essential ingredient.

The poppy seeds, along with four other ingredients, need to be dry roasted and ground. To save time, you can do that as the onions brown. Just don’t neglect the onions: please keep giving them a regular stir so that nothing sticks and burns. 

After cooking, mirchi ka salan needs to rest to achieve its optimal flavour. Letting it rest for a couple of hours is satisfactory, but allowing the flavours to fully settle in overnight at room temperature provides an exponential improvement in taste. 

Ingredients: 

For soaking the tamarind 
¼ cup (75-80g) tamarind pulp
2 cups hot water (not boiling)

For frying the chilies and onions
2 to 2½ ounces (65g) hot green cayenne peppers
2 to 2½ ounces (65g) mild green cayenne peppers
¾ cup oil  
1½ teaspoons of salt
2.2 pounds (1kg) sliced red onions

For dry roasting
1 tablespoon, heaping, peanuts
1 tablespoon coriander seeds 
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1½ tablespoons black poppy seeds (khus khus) 
1 tablespoon, heaping, shredded coconut (copra) 

For frying with the onion base
2 teaspoons puréed fresh garlic 
2 teaspoons puréed fresh ginger 
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 tablespoon dry curry leaves (about 12 leaves)

For the final 5 minutes
1 scant teaspoon jaggery (gur)

Utensils:

• small bowl

• tea towel

• medium 4-litre saucepan/pot with lid

• medium mixing bowl

• slotted spoon and side plate

• small non-stick frying pan

• coffee grinder or spice grinder

• fine metal sieve
  
  

Method: 

Soften the tamarind 

1. Place the tamarind in a small bowl. Pour exactly half of the hot water (1 cup) over the tamarind. Keep the remaining portion of water aside for later. Break the ball of tamarind with your fingers (or a fork) and let the sour pulp soak for 1 hour. 
   
   Prepare the chili peppers and onions

2. Wash all the chili peppers thoroughly in cold water. Air dry on a tea towel. 

3. Heat the oil in a medium-sized saucepan on MEDIUM. As the oil warms up, make sure the peppers are completely dry as any excess water will cause oil to splatter when frying. Use a paring knife to make a slit lengthwise on one side of each chili. Each cut should be centred and not be more than half the length of the pepper. Do not cut any of the peppers in half. 

4. Place the chili peppers into a clean bowl and rub the salt into each one.  

5. When the oil is hot, add all the peppers to the saucepan. Toss in the oil for one minute so each pepper is glistening and bright green. As white splotches start to form on the skin of the peppers use a slotted spoon (or tongs) to transfer the chilies to a side plate. Leave the oil in the pan. 

6. Add the sliced onions to the hot oil. Over the next 15 minutes, stir occasionally and fry until lightly browned. 
   
   Dry roast the spices

7. On a second burner, warm a small non-stick frying pan on MEDIUM heat. After 3-4 minutes, add the peanuts to the hot pan. Shake the pan regularly to keep the peanuts moving until they are lightly roasted. Brown patches will speckle the peanuts and a faint roasted aroma will rise from the pan. Transfer directly to a coffee grinder. 

8. Next, dry roast the coriander seeds in the same small pan. Shake the pan as before so the seeds do not burn. They will brown quickly, so at the first signs of their toasted herbaceous aroma, quickly transfer to the grinder with the peanuts. 

9. Lightly roast the sesame seeds, but do not brown them. Again, deftly shake the pan for about 2 minutes so that nothing burns. The beige seeds will darken slightly as a toasty aroma rises. Transfer to the grinder.

10. Keep the heat on MEDIUM and roast the poppy seeds in the same hot, dry pan. Swirl around the pan for a minute or so, then transfer to the grinder. 

11. Turn the heat off for the small frying pan. Add the coconut to the pan and roast lightly. Use a spatula to constantly keep the delicate shreds moving. Watch the colour shift from white to off-white. Some golden highlights may appear, but do not brown the coconut. Transfer to the grinder with the other spices. Ensure to wipe all the coconut pieces from the pan. 

12. Grind the roasted spices into a coarse powder. Keep aside for a moment. 
    
    Complete the onion base 

13. When the onions are lightly browned, add the garlic, ginger and turmeric. Stir for a minute. 

14. Add the cumin seeds. Stir for two minutes to allow the cumin to cook in the heat. Then add the curry leaves. Stir well for another minute. 
    
    Combine and cook the gravy

15. Add the peppers to the onions. Reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW. Gently mix.  

16. Add the ground spices directly from the grinder to the pan. Stir for a minute. 

17. Place a metal sieve over the pan and slowly pour the tamarind water through it. Make sure to carefully empty the entire bowl into the sieve. Press the pulp to release all the juice into the pot.  

18. Pour the remaining cup of water over the tamarind in the sieve. Continue to massage and press the pulp to release any remaining juice. Discard the used pulp and wipe all the tamarind juice stuck to the bottom of the sieve directly into the pan. Mix. 

19. Cook uncovered for about 15-20 minutes, until the tamarind aroma has fully dissipated. Stir regularly so nothing sticks to the pan. 

20. Add the jaggery (gur) and stir for a minute. Let everything cook for a final 5 minutes. Do not overcook, as the peppers should not break apart and become completely mushy. Some chilies should retain their shape to provide substance to the final presentation. 

21. Remove the pan from the heat. Cover with a lid and let rest for at least one hour (longer is better). Serve at room temperature. 

Tip: Wash and keep a few extra hot chilies on hand in case you want the gravy even hotter. The best time to test the hotness of the gravy is a few minutes after mixing in all the tamarind juice. You can either fry the extra chilies in the beginning and keep them aside just in case, or prepare them after testing the gravy. In the latter case you will need to make a slit in them and fry them in another small pan before adding them to the main pot.