From My Kitchen: Hyderabad.

I wish i had a few words to say but i have none,We all need to get on with life and we do but at times i feel for me life just got stagnated the day i landed in this city, I am not depressed,i am busy, i leave home at seven in the morning and come back at 7 in the evening, Hubby is always ready to listen if i want to talk, Sundays are a lazy affair with lots of sleep and least cooking, life is good but the spark is missing, the smile is automatic and artificial,the work is not something i would have taken up if i were in Hyd, its still teaching but not to the kind whom i would have preferred teaching, Friends to talk happens only on phone,i just can hear mom talking on phone, I do understand i am just two hrs away from home but then.... When anyone asks what will happen if i ever have to go out of this country i just say "I made my choice already" i chose this place over abroad when we got the chance,2hrs seems very near by when compared to 20hrs. Well,to break the monotony and rush our lifestyle i decided to make the ever rich and super duper favorite of mine "Mirchi ka saalan" the queen of Hyderabadi food culture,well,queen because i feel the curry is feminine, soft, rich and not too spicy, hot but not hot;p and oh yeah,i have more to say on this feminity of food but for some other post,for now enjoy the making.

7 Medium sized green chillies or Jalapeño peppers
I cut them into half and removed the stem inside and the seeds by making a cut mark at one side of the chilly,this will reduce the heat.

1/2 Cup of til or sesame seeds, 1/2 cup of peanuts , dry coconut and dhaniya acc. to the proportions you like,i took 1/4th part of the copra and only two t spoons of dhaniya and a few red chillies and cinnamon and two cloves.

Dry roast the peanuts and remove the skin(Which i do it half heartedly and try to retain the skin for a few peanuts;p)
roast other ingredients also

make them into powder in a mixer and keep it aside:)

Two big onions ,cut them and fry them for a few min in two spoons of oil.

then fry the peppers in the same oil and keep them in the paper napkins to remove the excess oil.

Now take the onions into the mixer along with one spoon of ginger garlic paste, two big spoons of tamarind juice,add the powder you made and had water acc to the requirements and make a smooth paste

All the ingredients made into a paste.

Take two spoons of oil, add karipatha or curryleaves and pour the paste into the kadai,adjust salt and let it simmer slowly on low heat for about 15min.close the lid while cooking and keep stirring in between.

When you see the water content reducing and the oil starts to seep in from sides add the mirchi to the salan and simmer for about 5 min.

Mirchi ka Salan is ready:) Enjoy it with rotis or hot rice,i love it with rotis and don't forget to serve it with onion carrot ratha:)

After i wrote my last post it just hit me from inside that i need to close this food blog,I don't want to reveal the reasons but i just wanted to close but had no heart to do so.And then i had to rush,for a 10day holiday in two different states and a visit to 3 different Jyotirling, Shirdi, Ellora caves, Lonavala, Pune and then the best place in the world for me,Hyderabad, those3 days with amma and bro and my two little rascals (my two dogs) made me all mushy and sad that i have to be back to Bangalore and a regular routine waiting for me,and then the holidays over and i am back to my work. And two days of talking to myself and the comments for my last post made me say that i am not quiting, and i will keep posting,when ever i find time,whenever i can, i said the same thing at Aalapana-Another new day also. So i am back. Recipes will follow,but for now,i am leaving you all with a few photographs, and these for me are Memories which i keep stocking away:) Have a good time all of you till the next time.