Mirchi Ka Salan

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka Salan - Green Chillies in a Tangy-Sesame Seeds Sauce

Ingredients:

Green chillies (thick and long) - 10, washed, slit, (seeds removed, if you dont want the curry to be too hot)
Khus Khus/Poppy seeds - 1/2 tsp
Till/Sesame Seeds - 2 tsp
Dhania/Corinader seeds - 1 tsp
Zeera/Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Groundnuts/Moong Phalli - 1/8 cup
Tamarind concentrate - 1 tbsp (or as per taste)
Coconut milk - 1/3 cup
Yellow Onions - 5, medium, sliced thick
Canola/Vegetable/Sunflower Oil - 3/4 cup
Salt - 2 tsp
Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/3 tsp
Turmeric - 1/3 tsp
Karyapaak/Curry leaves (fresh) - 8
Cumin seeds/Zeera - 1/3 tsp
Dried Red chilli - 2
Kalaunji/Nigella seeds - 1/3 tsp
Kothmir/Cilantro - chopped, for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large non stick pan and add the green chillies and a little pinch of salt (to retain the green colour of the chillies). Wear an oven mitt in your hand, step back, and carefully stir fry the chillies for three minutes. With a slotted spoon, drain and remove the green chillies into a plate.
2. In the same pan with some oil in it, add Khus Khus, Sesame Seeds, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds, Peanuts, and stir fry it on medium heat for 3-4 minutes again. Remove into a blender container. Let it cool.
3. Now again in the same pan add onions, and stir fry them. Do not add any oil. Let the onions caramelize on themselves. Keep giving them a stir every two minutes. Once the are golden brown, remove them into the same blender container in which the roasted spices were kept. Let it all cool down.
4. Add tamarind paste and coconut milk to the blender container contents. Blend the mixture once cooled adding a few drops of water if needed to aid in the blending, and make it into a smooth paste. It should not be coarse. and do not make the mixture too watery adding more water. It should be thick enough.
5. Now in the same pan at medium heat, add the remaining oil, and throw in the Dried red chillies, Kalaunji, Cumin seeds and Curry leaves. Once they splutter, pour some of the mixture into the pan, and immediately cover the pan with a lid for a minute. Lower the heat. This is done for the mixture to absorb all the flavour from the Baghaar (tempering).
6. Add the remaining mixture and mix it well. Cover the lid again for two to three minutes.
7. Now add the salt, red chilli powder, turmeric, and mix well. Stir fry it for a few minutes till till it leaves oil.
8. Now add the earlier fried green chillies and mix it, so that the mixture goes into the slit of the green chillies. Be gentle in stirring.
9. Pour about two to three cups of water to the mixture until you get the desired consistency. The traditional method is to keep the curry only a little bit watery. Do not add too much water. It should have a pasty, not too thick, not too watery consistency.
10. Let it cook covered for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and Serve.

Black bean Tacos

I want to try this...

-- 1 can (15 oz) black beans
-- Few green chillies
-- 1/2 can Fresh Cut corn (or you can use frozen kernel corn which you have
thawed but not cooked)
-- 6-8 corn tortillas
-- cilantro, lime, your favorite salsa, any of your favorite taco fixings

Heat oil, add garlic, green chillies, black beans and corn.
Slice onions, spring onions, cilantro, i used cream cheese instead of sour cream,
Add the taco seasoning mix.
Warm the tortillas
Divide the bean mixture between the tortillas and top with your favorite
fixings.
I usually add salsa, a squeeze of lime juice and some cilantro but
you can experiment to see what you like best.