Mirchi ka Salan

I am not a great fan of spicy food and am averse to trying out Andhra cuisine. However, I came across this dish while watching a popular TV show and was really tempted to try it out. This is an authentic Andhra dish, where the traditional recipe uses long green chilies. I used capsicum instead and it turned out just fine.

Ingredients:
Capsicum - 1, diced into medium sized cubes
Onion - 1 small, diced
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Tamarind pulp - 3 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Fresh coriander leaves - a sprig

For the Salan:
Peanuts - 4 tbsp
White sesame seeds - 1 tbsp
Coriander Seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Poppy Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chili - 1



Method:
1. Dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds and poppy seeds.
2. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and saute the onions and red chili.
3. Without adding water, grind the roasted ingredients along with sauteed onions, red chili and coconut.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and deep fry the diced capsicum and set aside.
5. In the same pan, add ginger garlic paste followed by the ground mixture and tamarind pulp.
6. Fry well, adding a tablespoon of water now and then to prevent the paste from sticking to the pan.
7. Add fried capsicum along with a little water. Place a lid and allow to cook for 10 minutes.
8. Remove from fire and garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

This tastes great with pulao, jeera rice and rotis.