Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe (Biryani Salan)

Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe – Creamy, nutty, spicy with a bit of tang is how one would describe Mirchi Ka Salan, a culinary delicacy from Hyderabadi Cuisine. Also known as Biryani Salan or simply Salan, it is made with green chilies (Bhavnagri chilies), peanuts, sesame seeds, dried coconut, aromatic spices and tamarind. Salan perfectly complements the Hyderabadi Biryani or any Biryani for that matter. If kothu & Malabar parotta have their salna, then Hyderabadi dum biryani always has Bagara baingan or Mirchi ka Salan.

Yes, this is one of the delicious sides you’ll find served with mutton biryani in restaurants across Hyderabad and Telangana.

If you are looking for sides other than Raita and Dal Tadka to serve with your Vegetable Biryani, Mirchi ka salan makes a tasty and satisfying swap that adds a punch to your biryani and Pulao. An easy to make recipe that you can also enjoy with flavored rice dishes or flatbreads like paratha, naan or rotis.

About Salan

Salan is a spicy, nutty, tangy and aromatic Hyderabadi side dish served with biryani. The base of the curry is made with peanuts, sesame seeds, dried coconut, tamarind and spices. There are numerous varieties of salan made with eggplants, tomatoes, large green chilies etc.

What is Mirchi Ka Salan?

Mirchi ka salan is an Urdu term where ‘Mirchi’ means ‘Chilies’ and ‘Salan’ is nothing but a ‘Curry’. Mirchi ka salan is a biryani side dish where green chilies are simmered in a hot spicy and tangy curry.

Hyderabadi cuisine like Mughlai has a lot of ace dishes in its culinary treasure trove. Mirchi ka salan is as Hyderabadi as it gets. A traditional recipe usually served during festival like Eid, weddings and other celebrations, it has now been popularized by eateries serving Telangana cuisines.

What makes this chili curry unique?

This isn’t the first Indian dish to feature chilies as the main ingredient. The combination of peanuts, tamarind and sesame with chilies makes it a stand out recipe. These 3 ingredients together with tamarind tone down the heat of green chilies and impart a nutty flavor to the dish.

Did you know that mirchi ka salan is similar to a Maharashtrian dish – Mirchi che panchamrut. But the two dishes differ in a couple of ways. For one Panchamrit uses a slightly different set of spices and jaggery. And it is usually served with bhakri or Puran poli.

About this recipe

This mirchi ka salan recipe provides you with a simple yet delightful dish that makes lunches and dinners special. My spicy curry is made with green chilies that are lightly fried and then simmered with aromatics and spices. Like most Indian stews, this dish has a gravy base.

The masala paste gets the creaminess from peanuts, and sesame seeds which also help tone down the heat levels a bit. The curry gets a dose of tanginess with the use of tamarind and a final garnish.

Variations of this dish exist with chefs and home cooks adding their own version of spices and tempering. You can add coconut to further reduce the heat of the chili gravy. Swap in vegetables like beans, brinja,l okra (lady’s finger) or bell peppers for chilis. But keep the recipe consistent with the use of tamarind, peanuts and sesame seeds.

My other recommendation is avoid using hot chilies in this recipe if you can’t tolerate heat. Use medium to mild green chilies instead.

This gravy is great for making ahead and cooking a big batch. It stays fresh in the fridge for 4-5 days, and freezes well. Add more oil to the curry if you plan to freeze it.

Similar Recipes
Capsicum Masala Curry
Shorba Recipe
Bagara Baingan

Photo Guide

How to make Mirchi Ka Salan (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. Soak 2 tablespoons tamarind in 6 tablespoons hot water. Set aside to soften. Later squeeze the tamarind and filter/strain the juice. You can also use store bought tamarind paste that comes in glass jars.

2. On a low to medium heat, dry roast 2 tablespoons peanuts until golden & aromatic. Keep stirring often to fry them uniformly.

3. Add 1½ tablespoons sesame seeds and 1 tablespoon copra (or desiccated coconut). Dry roast on the lowest heat till you begin to smell them nice. Do not burn. Remove to a plate and cool.

4. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan and fry ¾ cup sliced onions until golden, stirring often.

5. Add 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste.

6. Stir and fry until the raw smell goes off completely. Cool this as well.

7. Blend together all the roasted ingredients with 4 tablespoons water to a slightly coarse paste. [you will blend onions, peanuts, sesame and coconut.]

8. Do not make a very smooth or thin paste. It has to be slightly coarse.

9. Rinse green chillis and wipe them dry. Make a cut length wise. They can also be deseeded as I did. You can use a mix of hot and mild chilis too. Fry them in 1 tablespoon oil for 2 to 3 mins until they blister. Set them aside.

Make Mirchi Ka Salan

10. Add a tsp of oil. When the oil becomes hot add ½ teaspoon mustard seeds and ½ teaspoon cumin seeds. When they begin to splutter, add curry leaves and fry until crisp.

11. Add the onion peanut paste and pour 1½ cups water. Stir and mix well before the water turns hot to prevent any lumps.

12. Add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder, ½ teaspoon garam masala, ½ teaspoon red chili powder and filtered tamarind juice. You can also adjust the spice powders to get the desired color for the gravy. Add 2 tbsp. whisked curd if desired, it adds volume to the gravy. I do not use it. Add more water if needed, the gravy must be thin now, it will thicken after cooking.

13. Let it to boil on a low to medium flame for 5 to 8 minutes.

14. When the gravy turns slightly thick, add fried chilies and stir well. Cook on a low heat until the chillis wilt off and the gravy slightly thickens. Taste test and adjust salt and tamarind juice. Salan thickens further upon cooling so it has to be slightly runny but yet thick.

Mirchi ka salan is ready to serve with biryani or pulao.

Pro Tips

1. Choose chilies that are low on heat otherwise the salan turns too hot.
2. Roasting peanuts on a low to medium flame is key to a flavorful and aromatic salan. So ensure they are roasted well to bring out the aroma of roasted peanuts.
3. Sesame seeds are another ingredient used to lend a unique nutty aroma. If you do not have them then just replace them with coconut.
4. Traditionally tamarind is added to lend a slight tang to the mirchi ka salan. However it can be replaced with lemon juice while serving but you will miss on the flavors.
5. You can make the salan ahead and refrigerate. When needed just bring the mirchi ka salan to a rolling boil and then add the fried chilies.
6. Instead of chilies, you can also add some boiled or sauteed veggies to make vegetable salan.

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Recipe Card

Mirchi ka salan recipe first published in September 2015. Updated and republished in November 2022.