Mirchi ka Salan / Long green peppers in a tangy gravy

Mirchi ka salan is a traditionaly nawabi dish made to along with biryanis, especially with any meat biryani. Flavors like peanut, sesame seeds along with whole garam masala plays a interesting combination.
I made this on Sunday to go along with the Mutton Dum Biryani. Tho its more enjoyable with biryani, I like it with hot rice or even with rotis.
Tho I make biryani spicy usually , these I am having to make it less spicy for my kids. Since I knew they won't eat anything else other than the biryani, I made Mirchi ka Salan, spicy enough as a side. It came out good, maybe better than the biryani itself!! :))
I had few of my home grown banana peppers still left in the fridge, thats what I used for this dish. Any nice, long mirchi, not too spicy will be good for this dish. If the mirchis are too long, go ahead and cut them into halves. I like to leave the top stem on, but if you prefer not having them, take them out!. And also if you prefer taking the seeds out, please do.
Wash, clean and dry the mirchis prior to making the dish. It takes about 30-40 min for this dish from start to finish. Adjust quatities of ingredients according to your taste.

Ingredients:

10 to 12 long green chillies, not so spicy ones like banana pepper, slit in the between

To roast and make into paste with some water:
2 tbsp Peanuts
1 tsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp coconut powder

Dry whole garam masala:
3-4 Cloves
2 small pieces of cinamon stick
3-4 elaichi pods, cardamom
2-3 bay leaves
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera seeds
1/2 tsp methi seeds, fenugreek
3-4 dry red chillies, broken
5-6 curry leaves

Gravy:
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 green chillies, chopped
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 - 3/4 cup yogurt
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
pinch of hing, asfoetida
1 small ball of tamarind, soaked and juices extracted
1 tbsp of jaggery or sugar
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil

Coriander leaves, chopped for garnish

Method:

First roast the peanuts in few drops of oil till brown. Then put in the sesame seeds and coconut and roast till brown. Let this cool and grind into smooth paste with some water.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the whole garam masala one by one. First the cloves, cinamon stick and elaichi. Then the mustard seeds, jeera, methi seeds and dry red chillies. Let them splutter. Add in the bay leaves and curry leaves.

Add in the onion and green chillies. Let these cook down completely cos this will have to disintegrate to form the gravy.
Add hing, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and saute. Add the ginger-garlic paste and mix to cook.

Add the beaten yogurt along with red chilli powder, salt and the ground paste and saute and cook for atleast 10 mins.

Add the tamarind juice and jaggery. Let this simmer for another 10 min. If you think its geting thick and dry, add some water and let this cook till you see oil come to the top.

Lastly add the Long green chillies and cover cook for another 10 minutes, till they are tender and well cooked in the garvy. Add some water if you like it to have more garvy.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with Biryani or with roti or hot steaming rice. Enjoy!!!