It’s a popular Indian dish made with fried chillies, peanut, sesame seeds and coconut. Usually this is made with green chillies and called as Mirchi ka salan (Green chilli curry). I made this as a change with Bhindi. It really tasted good. The curry goes well with biryani or roti or plain hot rice with ghee (clarified butter).
You can always replace other veggies like eggplant or potato. I have already made Mirchi ka salan , mushroom salan and bell pepper ka salan.
This is totally vegan. I wanted to cook peanuts as I had a lot and that is the whole reason to make this. It is a good protein rich food because of peanuts. Few tend to add yogurt however I don’t. I want to make it as simple as I can. I always like standing in the kitchen and cooking, however, these days I don’t want to stand too much in the kitchen. May be my priorities are getting changed and have no time like most people J. But, any day I love cooking.
After a long time, I am posting a recipe. When I say after a long time, it’s been almost 6 months. I made this last weekend and I made an effort today to type this.
- • To roast & grind:
- • Peanuts –3 tbsp
- • Dry Red chilli – 3
- • Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
- • Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
- • Coconut – 1 tbsp
- • Ginger – 1 inch, chopped finely
- • Garlic – 6, chopped finely
- For gravy:
- • Oil – 1 tbsp
- • Curry leaves – 6-8 leaves
- • Hing - a pinch
- • Onions – 1 large, sliced, 1 cup
- • Green chili - 2 small, slit
- • Salt – as needed
- • Turmeric – 1 tsp
- • Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
- • Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
- • Cumin powder – 1 tsp
- • Coriander – 1 tbsp, chopped finely
- • Jaggery/sugar – ¼ tsp
- • Okra – 15
- Chop the okra into 1.5 inch. When they are dry, add them to oil and fry till they look little lighter shade.[BR] [BR]
- Dry roast the peanuts, red chillies, garlic, ginger and coconut in medium low flame until golden brown. Keep an eye on this. It gets brunt easily. Add this mixture to the blender and blend it with some water to a fine paste.
- Now add the oil in the pan and when the oil is hot, add the curry leaves, onions, hing and little salt. Cook the onions till they are golden brown, Add turmeric and blended paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder to the mixture.
- Add a tsp of oil and sauté the mixture. Fry for two minute and add some water to it. Cook for ten minutes. Stir in between till the oil oozes out nicely.
- When it oozes out oil again add the fried okta and jaggery/sugar to the gravy and let it cook for 5 mins so that the juices of the gravy het absorbed by the okra.
- Garnish with the chopped coriander leaves.