Mirchi Baingan Salan (Hyderabadi Chili-Eggplant Curry in Sesame Peanut gravy)

Bonus Recipe for Week 3
Theme: A-Z Dishes from Andhra Pradesh
Dish: M for Mirchi Baingan ka Salan

I made this very famous Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan to go with Qabooli. This is my 2nd bonus recipe for this week. This dish is similar to the Mixed vegetable salan I have already posted, but the spices used are slightly different. I tasted this at a restaurant long time back and wanted to recreate at home. I used eggplant and mirchi (chilies) in this recipe, but you can use just mirchi too. Recipe is from Zaiqa.net.

Ingredients:

Baby Eggplants - 10, make an 'X' and make sure not to cut them into pieces
Big Mirchi (Chiles) - 3, chopped into 2" pieces
Tamarind paste - 3tbsp
Turmeric - ½tsp
Red chili powder - 1tsp (or to taste)
Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp
Nigella seeds - 1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Mustard seeds - ½tsp
Salt - to taste

For Masala:
Sesame seeds - ½cup
Peanuts - ½cup
Dry grated Coconut - ¾cup
Poppy Seeds - 1tbsp
Onion - 1 large, chopped

Method:

• Make Masala: Dry roast sesame seeds, poppy seeds, peanuts and coconut separately lightly browned. Remove into a bowl. Once the mixture cools slightly, grind this to a smooth paste.
• Heat 2tsp oil in the same pan; saute onions until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and grind them into a smooth paste. 
• Make Salan/ Curry: Heat 1tbsp oil on medium-high flame; add baby eggplants and cook until all the sides are blistered and they are fork-tender. Remove onto a plate. 
• Next add the chiles and cook until the skins are blistered. Remove onto the plate.
• In the same pan; heat 2tbsp oil, add cumin, mustard and nigella seeds; once the seeds start to splutter, add the onion paste and cook for 1-2 minutes, so that the onion paste absorbs the flavor from tempering.
• Next add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 1 minute. Next add sesame-peanut paste and cook covered for 3-4 minutes.
• Next add tamarind paste, red chili powder, salt, sauteed eggplants and mirchi along with 2-3 cups of water. Mix well. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover the pan and cook for 20-25 minutes or until the veggies are completely cooked through the gravy is thick.

Serve with any rice preparation or roti. I served with Qabooli.