Some recipes sound like they are hard work, for me Mirchi (chilli) ka Salan recipe sounded like one of those. But it turned out to be one that is not just easy but also one that ended up being a firm family favourite now. What I’ve done here is adapt the recipe and make a Chicken ka Salan.
Salan is the Urdu word for curry, and also happens to be one of the most popular dishes in Hyderabad cuisine. Hyderabadi cuisine is not just known to be spicy but is also known for its sour or tangy tones. Ingredients like tamarind or yogurt tend to be used to bring in the sourness to a dish. This goes perfectly well with spice and whole spices too.
This dish includes sesame, peanuts and coconut that lend their roasty and earthy tones to the curry, whereas the cumin seeds bring the freshness and fragrance.Tamarind packs cuts right through the spices with its sour flavours but balances the dish perfectly.
Chicken ka salan is the perfect accompaniment to a Biryani. And you could very easily replace the chicken with aubergines making it a wonderful vegetarian or vegan dish. Serve this flavourful dish with rice or rotis and a lemony carrot and spring onion salad.
| Prep Time | 20 mins |
| Cook Time | 40 mins |
| Servings |
people
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- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 800 gas chicken thighs If boneless, then cut to bite size pieces
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1-2 tsp chilli powder
- 8-10 curry leaves Use Fresh or dried leaves
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste Grate 5 garlic pods and 1/2 inch of ginger to make the paste
- 2-3 medium onions sliced into juliennes
- 1 tbsp tamarind paste
- 300 ml water
- Handful Coriander leaves +stems - finely chopped
- Salt to taste
Ingredients
For the spice paste
For the curry
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For the spice paste:
- Dry roast all the ingredients on a warm pan for about 10 mins, or until you can get the aroma and the spices get are nicely browned. Be sure to constantly stir so that the spices don't burn.
- Now grind all the ingredients into a smoother paste by adding about 50 ml of water. The paste should still be thick but smooth.
For the curry:
- In a large bottomed heavy pan, heat oil and then add mustard seeds and curry leaves.
- Once the mustard seeds start spluttering, add onions and some salt. Stir well and cook the onions until they are brown.
- Now add the ginger garlic paste and mix well for a couple of minutes.
- Throw in the chilli powder and turmeric powder along with the ground spice paste. Mix for a bit, and then add in the chicken pieces.
- Mix the chicken well with the spice paste and the onions to make sure that the paste covers all of the chicken pieces.
- Season with salt and add water to the chicken. Cover with a lid and cook for about 20 mins.
- Now add the tamarind paste to the chicken, adjust salt as per taste and cook until the chicken is nice and soft.
- Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rotis or rice and some carrot salad.
This looks yumm? i am going to try this receipe, sounds exciting!! Looking forward.
You are going to love it xx
This is typical hyderabadi mahiqalia masala,used for fish,brinjals &mutton.Chicken is a good variation.
That’s really interesting, thanks for letting me know. I’ve always made this dish with chicken, might try and make it with brinjals as a vegetarian option.