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Mirchi thecha
मिरचीचा ठेचा: green chillies, garlic and peanuts pounded coarse and fried in a little oil
Thecha is the fiery pounded chilli relish of rural Maharashtra, from the Desh villages around Satara and Kolhapur, eaten with jowar bhakri and a raw onion at a farmhand's lunch and now a fixture of Pune's Marathi restaurants. Green chillies and garlic are blistered in a pan, then crushed with peanuts in a stone mortar. The common mistake is blending it smooth in a mixer; thecha should be coarse and rustic, so pound it or pulse briefly. Chef's tip: wear gloves or oil your fingers when handling this many chillies, and wash the pan straight away.
- Total time
- 15 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
For the thecha
- 1 ½ tbsp oil
- 3 ½ oz green chilliesstems removed
- 1 ⅜ oz roasted peanuts
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ¾ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander (optional)
- 1 tsp lemon juice
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What you'll need
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Heat 1 tbsp of 1 ½ tbsp oil in a pan and fry 3 ½ oz green chillies and 10 garlic cloves over medium heat for 4–5 minutes until blistered with brown spots.
5 minStep 2: Add 1 ⅜ oz roasted peanuts and ½ tsp cumin seeds and toast 1 minute.
1 minStep 3: Cool slightly, then pound in a mortar with ¾ tsp salt and 2 tbsp fresh coriander, or pulse briefly in a grinder, to a coarse paste.
3 minStep 4: Heat the remaining oil, add the thecha and fry 1–2 minutes until it smells roasted. Stir in 1 tsp lemon juice. Keeps 5 days in the fridge.
2 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 80 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 4 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mirchi thecha take?
- About 15 minutes in total: 5 minutes to prepare and 10 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of garlic cloves?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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