MIRCH KA SALAN: SPICY PEPPER PEANUT CURRY

HYDERABAD STYLE

Preparation Time: 50-60 Minutes (Around an hour)
You Need: (To Serve 4 People)
Ingredients	Quantity	A Quick Comment
Washed & dried Jalapeno Peppers	8 - 10	Instead of Chili Peppers you can also use Banana Peppers/Finger Hots. Make sure Peppers are completely dry as you will be frying them.
Chopped Onions	2 medium sized	Need not to finely chop Onions and Tomatoes as you will be anyways grinding them.
Chopped Tomatoes (Optional)	2 medium sized	If you are not using Tomatoes, increase onion quantity. Use 3 medium sized Onions.
Garlic Paste/Finely Grated Garlic	1 ½ tbsp
Ginger Paste/Finely Grated Ginger	1 ½ tbsp
Tamarind Paste	6 tbsp	Instead of Tamarind paste, you can use Yogurt.
Powdered Jaggery (Optional)	1 tbsp	Instead of Jaggery, you can use Sugar.
Oil	8 tbsp/½ cup	To pan fry the peppers and for seasoning
Salt	To taste
Spice Powders:
Turmeric Powder	1 tsp	In Hindi - Haldi (हल्दी ) In Kannada - Arisina (ಅರಿಸಿನ)
Red Chili Powder	1 tsp	In Hindi - Mirch Powder (मिर्च  पाउडर) In Kannada - Menasina Pudi (ಮೆಣಸಿನ ಪುಡಿ)
Coriander Powder	1 ½ tbsp	In Hindi - Dhaniya Powder (धनिया पाउडर) In Kannada - Kottambari Pudi (ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಪುಡಿ)
Cumin Powder	1 tsp	In Hindi - Jeera Powder (जीरा  पाउडर) In Kannada - Jeerige Pudi (ಜೀರಿಗೆ ಪುಡಿ)
To Grind into Powder:
Peanuts/Groundnuts	A Fistful	In Hindi - Moongphali (मूंगफली) In Kannada - Kadale Beeja (ಕಡಲೆ ಬೀಜ)
Sesame Seeds	4 tbsp/A Fistful	In Hindi - Til (तिल) In Kannada - YelluPudi (ಎಳ್ಳು)
Dry Coconut Powder	4 tbsp	In Hindi - Nariyal Powder (नारियल पाउडर) In Kannada - Ona Tenginakai Pudi (ಒಣ ತೆಂಗಿನಕಾಯಿ ಪುಡಿ/ತುರಿದ ಕೊಬ್ರಿ) Instead of dry coconut powder, you can also use grated Coconut.
Cumin Seeds (Optional)	3 tbsp	In Hindi - Jeera (जीरा ) In Kannada - Jeerige(ಜೀರಿಗೆ)
For Seasoning:
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Mustard Seeds	1 tsp	In Hindi - Rai (राइ) In Kannada - Sasive (ಸಾಸಿವೆ)
Fenugreek Seeds	1 tsp	In Hindi - Methi ke Daane (मेथी के दाने) In Kannada - Mentya (ಮೆಂತ್ಯ)
Black Seeds/Onion Seeds/Nigella (Optional)	1 tsp	In Hindi - Kalongi (कलोंजी) In Kannada - Kari Jeerige (ಕರಿ ಜೀರಿಗೆ)
Curry Leaves	1 stick	In Hindi - Kadi Patta (कड़ी पत्ता) In Kannada - Kari Bevu (ಕರಿ ಬೇವು)
Red Chilies	2-3	In Hindi - Lal Mirch (लाल मिर्च) In Kannada - Kempu Menasu (ಕೆಂಪು ಮೆಣಸು)
To Garnish:
Chopped Cilantro/Coriander Leaves	½ cup	In Hindi - Dhaniya (धनिया) In Kannada - Kottambari Soppu (ಕೊತ್ತಂಬರಿ ಸೊಪ್ಪು)

Method:

    To Prepare Curry Powder

• Roast Peanuts, Sesame seeds, dry Coconut powder and Cumin seeds separately on a low flame and keep them aside for about 5-10 minutes so that they can cool down.

          Roasting peanuts will take about 4-5 minutes. Roast Sesame seeds and Cumin seeds for about 2-3 minutes and Coconut powder/Coconut around 30 seconds till they turn slight golden brown.

Grind coarsely the roasted Peanuts, Sesame seeds, dry Coconut powder and Cumin seeds together into powder.

    To Prepare Onion-Tomato Paste

• Heat Oil in a pan. Add Chopped Onions and a little salt. Saute for a minute till Onions turn tender and soft.
• Add Chopped Tomatoes. Mix well and Saute for around 2 minutes, till the Tomatoes turn soft.
• Grind these Sauteed Onions and Tomatoes into a thick paste by adding a little water.

    To Fry the Peppers

• Slit each Pepper in the middle lengthwise without cutting it into halves and keep them aside.
• Heat ½ cup of Oil in a pan. Drop the slit Peppers carefully into oil and fry them for about a minute on a medium flame.

• When one side turns soft and burnt, turn each pepper and leave for another minute so that the other side can also get fried. Drain out the excess oil and keep this fried Peppers aside.

    To Prepare the Curry

• Heat oil in a pan. Add Mustard seeds, Cumin seeds, Fenugreek seeds, Black seeds and saute for 3-4 seconds till the mustard seeds start spluttering.
• Add Curry leaves and Red chilies and saute for 3 seconds.
• Add finely grated Ginger and finely grated Garlic. Saute for few seconds.

• Add ground Onion and Tomato paste, Turmeric powder, Red chili powder, Coriander powder, Cumin powder, ground Curry powder, salt. Mix well. If the mixture is too thick, add a glass of water and mix well. Cover the lid and cook this mixture for about 20 minutes on a low flame till the oil oozes out of this mixture and Mixture turns slightly thick.

• Add Tamarind paste, powdered Jaggery or Sugar and drop the fried peppers into the mixture. Give a gentle mix. Cover the lid and again cook the mixture on a low flame for another 5 minutes so that the peppers can absorb the gravy and turn little soft.

          Make sure you do not overcook the peppers as they might turn too soft and mushy.

• Switch off the gas and garnish with chopped Cilantro. Serve hot. This goes very well with Biriyanis. You can also serve this with Chapatis/Naans/Parathas or with Rice-Rasam :)