Indian · Hyderabad · side

Mirchi ka Salan (Chillies in Peanut and Sesame Gravy)

Name: Mirchi ka Salan (Chillies in Peanut and Sesame Gravy)
Prep time: 53 min
Total time: 54 min
Cuisine: Indian · Hyderabad
Ingredients: long mild green chillies — 1200 g; peanut oil — 54 g; peanuts — 60 g; sesame seeds — 30 g; coconut — 40 g; cumin seeds — 5 g; coriander seeds — 15 g; onion — 150 g; ginger-garlic paste — 15 g; turmeric — 5 g; chilli powder — 10 g; tamarind paste — 60 g; brown mustard seeds — 5 g; curry leaves — 2 g; nigella seeds — 3 g; salt — 10 g

Mirchi ka Salan (Chillies in Peanut and Sesame Gravy) reads nutty 5.1, sweetness 5.0 and sourness 4.5 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Indian · Hyderabad side, about 54 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 4.0 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.9 / 10
Sour & Bright — 5.4 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 2.9 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.2 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.0 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Nutty 5.1 · Sweetness 5.0 · Sourness 4.5 · Richness 3.8 · Salinity 3.7 · Umami 3.4 · Heat 3.3 · Allium 3.0 · Citrus 3.0 · Fruity 2.9 · Warm Spice 2.9 · Earthy 2.7 · Herbaceous 2.0 · Bitterness 1.5 · Floral 1.4

What's in it (16)

long mild green chillies — 1200 g
peanut oil — 54 g
peanuts — 60 g
sesame seeds — 30 g
coconut — 40 g
cumin seeds — 5 g
coriander seeds — 15 g
onion — 150 g
ginger-garlic paste — 15 g
turmeric — 5 g
chilli powder — 10 g
tamarind paste — 60 g
brown mustard seeds — 5 g
curry leaves — 2 g
nigella seeds — 3 g
salt — 10 g

Time & effort: about 54 min (53 min active) · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 72.3 kcal, 2.3 g protein, 5.5 g fat, 4.5 g carbs

Dietary: Vegan — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Dry-roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, grated copra, cumin and coriander seeds separately in a heavy pan over medium heat, 2 to 4 minutes each, until each smells toasted and the sesame starts to jump. Dry coconut, tamarind and roasted chilli are exactly what makes a Hyderabadi gravy read differently from a north Indian one, where the same dish would be built on cream and cashew.
Fry the sliced onion in 1 tablespoon of the oil for 8 minutes until brown, then grind everything together with 150 ml water to a thick, sandy paste.
In the same pan heat the remaining oil and shallow-fry the slit chillies for 3 minutes, turning, until the skins blister and go pale. Lift them out.
Into that oil drop the mustard seeds and wait for them to pop, about 40 seconds, then the curry leaves and nigella seeds for 10 seconds.
Stir in the ginger-garlic paste, turmeric and chilli powder and fry 2 minutes.
Add the ground paste and fry 6 to 8 minutes on medium, stirring often, until it darkens and the oil separates in visible pools.
Strain in the tamarind water, add the salt and simmer 15 minutes until the gravy is thick and glossy. Return the fried chillies and cook 5 minutes more.
Rest at least an hour before serving; salan is meant to be eaten warm rather than hot, alongside biryani.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Kara Kuzhambu (Sour Shallot and Aubergine Gravy) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
Rasam (Pepper and Tamarind Broth) — Indian · Tamil Nadu
Sweet Potato and Peanut Stew — West African
Sindhi Kadhi (Roasted Gram Flour and Tamarind Vegetable Stew) — Indian · Sindhi
Moroccan Vegetable Casserole — Moroccan

Keep reading: what nutty, sweetness, sourness mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.