food talk
Chill out with chillies

The variety of dishes prepared with chillies as the main ingredient in the subcontinent is mind-boggling, says Pushpesh Pant

Chillies they say came to our motherland with the Portuguese sometime in the medieval period. If food historians are to be believed, then the hot stuff is an import from the New World. True, the Mexicans routinely devour palette-singing jalape`F1os and even gulp down small tumblers full of tequila with the pungent green princess, but all this evidence has never convinced us that lal chari maidan khari is not the daughter of native soil.

We were greatly reassured when an ethno-botanist published his research to establish that the hottest chilies in the world grow in the northeast part of the subcontinent and there is reason to believe that they are not derivatives from the native American imports. Forget the history lesson; there is great variety of chillies on the subcontinent. Rasampatti in Andhra, Nagauri in Rajasthan, colourful but sweet Kashmiri and the mind blowing, Longka from Bengal and this list is far from complete.

The variety of preparations — not just spiced up with chillies but prepared with these as the main ingredient is no less than mind-boggling. Mirchi ka salan from the Hyderabadi repertoire is a signature dish and the denizens of Jodhpur take justifiable pride in more than 100-odd varieties of mirchi vada that the princely city has to offer. In the south of Vindhyas, deep-fried, curd-soaked, sun-dried chillies barely need the yoghurt to make a memorable meal with steamed rice. In eastern UP, the Gorakhpuri pickled red chilies can be paired fabulously with hot parantha or even basi roti. In Gujarat, the sambhariya, made with capsicum is a minor classic. Long years ago Swadesh jijji (Prof. Swadesh Rana, sometime director of the disarmament program at the UN) treated us to hari mirch ki sabzi a recipe that was at once refreshing and original. She had deseeded the chillies but not compromised the flavour with the blow-softening onions or potatoes. It was a stir-fry to die for. After many moons, we encountered a worthy competitor. Dr Asha Bhandari, who is happily married to a beloved nephew, prepared for a family get-together at home, bharwan achari mirch. The plump green chillies were not overloaded with potato mash and the spicing was delicate yet distinctive. The mirchi were not defanged totally and their succulence had been carefully protected. We happily shared her creation with our readers this time.

bharwan achari mirch

Ingredients

Plump green chilies (normally used for pickle) 250 gm
Potato (medium-sized, peeled, washed and grated) one
A pinch of asafoetida
Saunth 1 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
Rye seeds 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
Kalong seeds 1/4 tsp
 Amchur powder 1/2 tsp
(or 1 tsp lime juice)
Mustard oil 3 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method

Wash and wipe dry the chilies, slit lengthwise, remove the pith and seeds. Take care not to split in half. Reduce heat to medium. Heat oil in a shallow frying pan and when it reached smoking point, dissolve the hing in it. Now add all the seeds and when they splutter put in or add the grated potato. Add amchur powder or limejuice. Mix well. Stir fry briskly for about a minute. Remove the pan from heat and scoop out the potato mix and fill into the chillies. Return the pan to the flame and cook the chillies till they soften and change colour slightly. The art is not to let these overcook or get scalded. Can be relished hot or cold.





HOME