BHARWAN MIRCHI

Bold & Spicy.. this Bharwan Mirchi is the perfect accompaniment with any Indian meal. I especially enjoy them with dal chawal. They are sure to spice up a simple meal. And they stay good in the fridge for upto 1.5 to 2 months. 

Ingredients:

Serrano Peppers, 7 - 9

Besan or Chickpea Flour, 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Pickle oil, 1 tbsp 

Red Chili Powder, 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder, 1 tsp

Coriander Cumin Powder, 1 tbsp

Fennel Seeds, 1 tbsp roughly crushed

Asafoetida, 2 pinches

Lemon, half

Mustard Oil, 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and pat dry the chilies and set aside. Heat a pan. Once hot, add in the oil from any savory pickle you have at home. 

2. Add in the asafoetida. 

3. Add in the besan/chickpea flour and roast on low heat until you smell the aroma of the roasted besan. We don't want it to change color so be careful to keep stirring it continuously. 

4. Add in the dry masalas, salt, turmeric, coriander cumin, red chili powder and crushed fennel seeds. Turn off the heat and remove the gram flour mixture into another bowl. 

5. Slit the chilies from the inside (where the thickness is maximum) with a sharp knife. We only want to slit them and not cut. Depending on your spice threshold you may remove the seeds if you'd prefer the chilies to not be too hot. I leave mine in and its quite spicy that way.

6. Stuff the chilies with the gram flour mixture and keep aside the left over gram flour mixture to use later. 

7. Heat the same pan again and once hot add in the mustard oil. Once the oil gets to the smoking point turn off the heat and let it cool. Turn on the  heat again on medium heat and add asafoetida. 

8. Add in the stuffed chilies and cook uncovered on medium high heat for 3-4 minutes. After 3-4 minutes stir lightly and cover and cook for 7-9 minutes on low heat. Turn off the heat and squeeze in half a lemon. Mix carefully. Let this cool down completely and then refrigerate it for future use.