Mirchi Ka Salan Recipe (Biryani Salan)

Creamy, nutty, spicy with a bit of tang is how one would describe Mirchi Ka Salan, a culinary delicacy from Hyderabadi Cuisine. Also known as Biryani Salan or simply Salan, it is made with green chilies (Bhavnagri chilies), peanuts, sesame seeds, dried coconut, aromatic spices and tamarind.

Salan perfectly complements Hyderabadi Biryani or any South Indian Biryani for that matter. Like kothu & Malabar parotta are served with salna, a Hyderabadi biryani is always paired with Mirchi Ka Salan or Bagara Baingan.

Hyderabadi cuisine like Mughlai has a lot of ace dishes in its culinary treasure trove. This dish is usually served with Mutton Biryani during festivals like Eid, weddings and other celebrations, across Hyderabad & Telangana. In the recent years, it has now been popularized by eateries & biryani restaurants serving Telangana cuisine.

My recipe can transform your boring meals to a delightful & special treat. If you are looking for sides other than a Raita and Dal Tadka to serve with your Vegetable Biryani, Mirchi ka salan makes a tasty and satisfying swap that adds a punch to your meal. It is an easy to make dish that you can also enjoy with flavored rice dishes or flatbreads like paratha, naan or rotis.

What is Mirchi Ka Salan?

Mirchi Ka Salan is a traditional Hyderabadi side dish made to serve with Biryani. Thick fat green chilies are blistered & simmered in a tangy, spicy and moderately hot peanut based curry. Mirchi is a Hindi & Udru word that translates to chilies and Salan is a curry. So Mirchi Ka Salan is a curry with green chilies.

While a salan is made in numerous ways, the base of this Hyderabadi curry is made with roasted peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut & sometimes poppy seeds for a nutty aroma. The heat from the green chilies is balanced with a tangy ingredient like tamarind or yogurt. To round out the flavors, optionally a small amount of jaggery is used.

Though the dish is made with green chilies it won’t be burning spicy and is minimally spiced to highlight the nutty aromas. If you don’t like chilies, swap them for paneer, boiled eggs or other veggies like okra, mushrooms, bell peppers, potatoes, pumpkin or butternut squash. I have the versions with bell peppers & mushrooms on this blog.

Mirchi ka salan is similar to a lesser known Maharashtrian dish - Mirchi che panchamrut. But the two dishes differ in a couple of ways. The Maharastrian version uses a slightly different set of spices & jaggery. And it is usually served with bhakri or Puran poli.

Wondering if this is the only Indian recipe made with green chilies? I have a few more hereMirchi BajjiGreen Chili ChutneyAchari Chicken with stuffed chiliesGreen Chili Chicken

Ingredients for Salan

Star ingredient

Green Chilies are the star ingredient of this dish. Usually thick, fat and medium sized chilies that are medium to low in heat are used. Bajji chilies or Bhavnagari chilies are the most commonly used. Other varieties like serrano peppers or jalapenos can be great substitutes. I love to use a mix of fat and thin chilies for the flavor. Avoid using chilies that are too thin as they add more heat and less flavor to the salan.

Basic ingredients

• Nuts & Seeds like raw peanuts, dried coconut (copra), white sesame seeds and white poppy seeds are roasted & blended to a paste. Copra has a great flavor but you can use unsweetened shredded coconut, desiccated coconut or flakes. Poppy seeds are banned in Singapore so I omit them. You can also use roasted versions of the same.
• Whole Spices like mustard seeds and cumin seeds are essential to temper. Kalonji (onion seeds) and methi seeds are also used by some people.
• Ground spices like cumin, coriander powder or garam masala add their own flavors. Turmeric adds a nice color and red chili powder adds some flavor & heat to the dish.
• Aromatics like onions, ginger, garlic and curry leaves play a crucial role, not only in imparting their unique flavors but they also add body to the dish.
• Tamarind is a very important ingredient. You can either use tamarind pulp or use in the ready form like tamarind paste or concentrate that comes in glass bottles. The store bought versions can make your dish darker. I highly recommend starting with lesser amount and adjust to preference.
• Jaggery is an unrefined sweetener that rounds out the over-all flavors and taste. A lot of people do not use it but I highly recommend & it takes your dish to the next level.

This recipe serves 4 to 6 people. If you are serving this with biryani, it can suffice 6 people but if serving with flavored or steamed rice or flatbreads it only serves 4.

Photo Guide

How to make Mirchi Ka Salan (Stepwise photos)

Preparation

1. You can use as many or few green chilies as you want. But ideally you can use 6 to 8 (120 grams) in this recipe. Rinse them and slit from top to bottom, keeping the stem & the other end intact. (I prefer using a mix of small/thin chilies and pulpy medium hot kind.)

2. Omit this step to use bottled ¾ tablespoon tamarind concentrate or 2 tablespoon paste. If using tamarind pulp like me, soak 3 tablespoons (25 grams) in half cup hot water. Later, squeeze it well and strain through a filter to collect the juice.

3. Prepare the other ingredients you need

• 4 tablespoons peanuts (about 45 grams)
• 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds (about 20 grams)
• 3 tablespoons dried coconut/ shredded coconut/ copra (25 grams)
• Slice 1 medium red onion to make 1 cup (100 grams)
• Peel & slice 1 inch ginger (10 grams) (or use 1 teaspoon paste)
• Peel 4 medium garlic cloves (13 grams) (or use 1 teaspoon paste)
• Rinse and pat dry 1 sprig curry leaves (10 to 12)
• ½ teaspoon mustard seeds (+ ½ teaspoon kalonji seeds optional)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• ½ teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (or 1 tsp coriander powder + ½ teaspoon cumin powder)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon jaggery powder or brown sugar (adjust to taste)

Make the salan paste

4. Add peanuts to a pan and dry roast on a medium heat until golden and aromatic. It takes me 6 to 7 mins. (If you are using an enameled cast iron like me, use 1 tsp oil. Don’t dry roast.)

5. Add the sesame seeds and coconut. Continue to roast for 2 mins, until you smell them aromatic. Do not burn, if you want reduce the flame.

6. Remove from the pan to a plate and cool aside.

7. Pour 2 to 3 tablespoons oil and add onions, ginger and garlic. On a medium flame, saute them until golden, for 9 to 10 mins. If you want you may brown them without burning. Remove to the same plate (retain any excess oil in the pan) & cool down.

8.Transfer all the fried and roasted ingredients to a blender and pour 1 cup water (240 ml).

9. Grind to a smooth puree.

10. Fry the green chilies in the same pan, until blistered. If you want add a tsp of oil but too much will splash on you. It takes me about 5 to 6 mins to blister the chilies but it may be different for you depending on the chilies. Remove to a plate.

Make the Salan/ Curry

11. Heat 2 to 6 tablespoons oil in the pan (low to medium heat). If you want to a layer of oil on top of the salan, use 6 tablespoons. Add mustard, kalonji, cumin seeds and curry leaves.

12. When they begin to pop, stir in the red chili powder, turmeric, salt and garam masala. Do not burn.

13. Immediately transfer the paste/puree that we just blended.

14. Mix well.

15. Add tamarind and 2 cups water (480 ml).

16. Bring to a rolling boil and reduce to medium heat. Cover and cook for a minimum of 15 to 20 mins. Don’t rush. Your salan will get fragrant when you cook it really well.

17. When it is ready it will be thick, smooth, and looks glossy. You will also see traces of oil on top (don’t expect a lot of oil if you are using lesser). Add the fried mirchi/green chilies and jaggery powder.

18. Cover and simmer until the chilies wilt but not mushy. Mine need 10 mins but this may be different for you & it depends on the chilies. I had to add another half cup hot water because my salan was too thick. Taste test to adjust salt and tamarind to your preference. Mirchi ka salan ideally tastes tangy, spicy, hot and slightly sweet.

19. The consistency should be slightly runny as it becomes thicker when it cools down.

Serve Mirchi Ka Salan with flavored rice dishes like biryani, plain basmati rice, pulao, chapati, paratha, roti or tandoori naan. You can refrigerate this up to 4 days or freeze for 2 months. Thaw in the fridge before reheating. If you love serving yours with a layer of oil on top without having to use a lot while cooking, read my expert tips below.

Expert Tips

• Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons oil in a pan and add 2 chopped low heat green chilies (do not chop them small). Fry them until blistered & really aromatic for 3 to 4 mins. Remove the chilies and add ¼ tsp Kashmiri red chili powder. Do not burn. Stir well and pour 1/3 cup hot water. Bring to a rolling boil and simmer until the water evaporates completely and the oil looks red. Turn off and cool down. Let the chili powder rest at the bottom and pour only the oil over your mirchi ka salan. Gently swirl the serving bowl to spread the oil all over.
• This method is very helpful when you are making salan for a crowd. Use lesser oil while cooking and make this special oil to pour over your dish. It looks stunning & I have seen caterers do this. Please use fresh and high quality oil for this. Peanut oil is ideal.
• If you want you may use 1 tablespoon white poppy seeds and cut down the same amount of peanuts. You can use equal amount of peanuts, sesame and coconut but I prefer higher amount of peanuts because I am omitting poppy seeds.
• I love blending sauteed onions as it add great flavor to the mirchi ka salan.
• Store bought tamarind paste or concentrate can ruin your dish if it isn’t good. So do a sniff test before using.

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This recipe post was first published in September 2015. Updated and republished in June 2025.