Shishito Pepper Salan

A curry made using nuts and spices; this Shishito Pepper Salan is a delicious take on Hyderabadi Mirchi ka Salan.

It is an easy and great side for roti, rice or biryani! 

India is rich in curries. We like to use different ingredients to make the base of our curries. Tomato, onion, spinach and cashews are popular up North and coconut, sesame and peanuts are loved down South.

The curries get their flavor and texture from what they are made of and then from what goes into it. Koftas, mixed vegetables, paneer or even tofu.

Baingan Bharta, Spinach Tofu, Beetroot Kofta Curry and Mixed Vegetable Paatra Curry is among our favorite curries from the Indian cuisine. They all have their signature base and add-ins and definitely make great sides for flat breads.

Salan is another category of Indian curries. Popular in Hyderabad, this nutty curry is generally served with chili. Its signature gravy is super delicious for sure.

Jump to:

• What is Salan
• Why this recipe works
• Ingredients and Substitutions
• How to make this recipe
• Expert Tips and Notes
• Storage
• Recipe FAQs
• Serving Suggestions
• More Indian Mains
• Shishito Pepper Salan

What is Salan

Salan is the Urdu word for curry. So essentially salan is a curry. And when we add chili i.e. mirchi; it translates to chili curry. A Hyderabadi side for biryani or to serve with roti or rice; Salan is delicious. 

This peanut coconut based sauce is a great side for the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. You may have spotted this as a side for all the biryani orders from the Indian restaurant. This salan is always the sought after sauce in my house. 

So making a batch batch at home is a great idea. Serving this with home made biryani makes a great dinner for sure! Moreover, it pairs with flatbread too.

I have swapped the regular chili to make this with Shishito Peppers. And so Mirchi ka Salan converts to a delicious Shishito Pepper Salan.

Why this recipe works

• Salan is a great side for biryani, steamed rice and flatbreads.
• It needs under 45 minutes to come together.
• The recipe is easy to make Vegan by one simple swap.
• This is a great recipe for meal prep and to make ahead.
• It is also gluten-free.
• Salan is popular for weddings, occasions and events, but can be made year round.
• It is easy to customize by adding appropriate chili peppers.
• We only need a handful of pantry essentials to make it.
• It makes a great way to consume shishito peppers.
• It is a pretty dish to look at.

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Shishito Peppers: This is the prime ingredient for the recipe. I like them as they are never spicy but super flavorful with the curry. However, any spicy or mild chili like jalapeños will work too. Deseed the spicy ones to make them milder. Or use as is if you like them spicy.
• Whole Spices: I make my salan masala by dry roasting whole spices. I like to add cumin, coriander, black and white sesame seeds, peanuts, poppy seeds and coconut. Each of these have a special taste and flavor so try not to skip any of these.
• Powdered Spices: Along with the whole spices, I have added turmeric powder, red chili powder and salt in the recipe. We do not need any other spices in the recipe. However, a pinch of garam masala can be added to the recipe.
• Yogurt: Yogurt makes the salan creamy and delicious. I would not recommend skipping it at all.
• Aromatics: Garlic, ginger, green chili and onions are perfect for spicing the recipe. These sautéed in oil makes the gravy full of spice and flavor. They should all be added to make the curry flavorful. However, skip the garlic and onion for a NONG version. However, it will taste slightly different and less flavorful.
• Oil: We need a fat for sautéing the aromatics and spices. I like to use oil but ghee works as well.

See the recipe card for detailed ingredient information, measurements and nutrition.

How to make this recipe

1- In a pan add all the ingredients for the masala.

2- Dry roast on medium flame till the coconut is fragrant. 

3- Turn down the flame, remove in a bowl and let the ingredients cool completely. 

4- Grind to a smooth paste using a few teaspoons of water as needed and set aside. 

5- Wash and dry the peppers. Make one or two slits in them.

6- To blister the peppers; heat oil in the pan. Once hot, add the peppers and let the skin blister.

7- Turn them over and let the other sides brown too.

8- Remove and set aside.

9- In the same pan add the remaining oil and heat it. Once hot, add cumin seeds.

10- Once they pop, add ginger, garlic, green chili and onions.

11- Cook on medium flame till the onions are completely soft.

12- Add the masala purée and cook for another minute.

13- Then add red chili powder, salt and turmeric powder. Sauté for a couple of minutes.

14- Mix well and add water.

15- Simmer till the gravy boils and the oil floats to the side. Then add whipped yogurt and mix well.

16- Simmer for another couple of minutes.

17- Add the blistered peppers and cook covered for 5 minutes.

18- Top with cilantro and serve this Shishito Pepper Salan with naan, paratha or biryani.

Expert Tips and Notes

• Shishito Peppers: I like to use shishito peppers for the recipe of Shishito Pepper Salan. However, use spicy or mild chilis based on your spice tolerance. Jalapeños, banana peppers, bhavnagri mirchi, baaji milagai, poblano or even anaheim peppers work. It works to deseed the chilis to make them milder.
• Using the same pan: The entire recipe can be made in one single pan without having to rinse in between. The steps are ordered in a way that the pan works fine throughout the recipe. Plus, the oil from sautéing the peppers is the best to use to make the salan.
• Use fresh ingredients: As we use the chili to consume as a sabji and not to season the curry, we need fresh chili. Also the seeds we use tend to become rancid quickly. So pick fresh ones to get the maximum flavor in the curry. Plus, dry roasting the seeds do help make the curry very flavorful.
• Stuffing the peppers: While I simply roast the peppers, there is an option to stuff them with a filling made from potatoes or paneer. Both works well and makes the dish more filling.
• Using other vegetables: If you are not a fan of chili, simply add a mix of your favorite vegetables or paneer to the recipe. This makes a delicious curry without any chili.

Storage

This Shishito pepper salan is perfect to enjoy immediately on making. However, it can be stored too. Simply add the leftover curry in an airtight container and keep the chili separate. It keeps well for 3-4 days.

To serve, heat the curry through with the peppers and serve with your choice of paratha or biryani.

Plus, the salan freezes well too. Freeze only for a short time like 10-12 days. After that the nuts start to taste rancid in the curry. Heat through before serving.

Recipe FAQs

Serving Suggestions

The best accompaniment for Shishito Pepper Salan is definitely biryani. However, it pairs well with flat breads too. Here are some great serving suggestions.

More Indian Mains