Mirchi to Bhindi: 5 Varieties Of Salan To Pair With Your Biryani

Biryani is one of the classic Indian dishes that is popular all over the world. This delectable and aromatic delight holds a special place in the heart of every food lover. Made with basmati rice, succulent meat, or flavourful vegetables, combined with a myriad of aromatic spices like ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, and chilli powder, this is often paired with raita or salan.

Talking particularly about salan, it is a delicious accompaniment to biryani that is traditionally made with green chillies, peanuts, sesame seeds, coconut, and other flavourful ingredients. Apart from biryani, this gravy dish is also relished with a variety of rice and bread dishes like pulao, fried rice, and paratha. This spicy and tangy curry can also be made in a variety of ways.

Mirchi Salan

Video Credits-Vahchef Vahrehvah/YouTube

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings-2 

Ingredients

• 250 g of green chillies 
• 50 g of cooking oil 
• 5 g of mustard seeds 
• 2 g of cloves 
• 5 g curry leaves 
• 100 g of onion paste (sauteed) 
• 25 g of ginger-garlic paste 
• 50 g of tamarind 
• Salt to taste 
• 10 g of coriander leaves

For salan paste: 

• 50 g of peanuts 
• 50 g of coconut 
• 15 g of sesame seeds 
• 20 g of coriander seeds 
• 10 g cumin seeds 
• 5 red chillies 
• 5 g of peppercorns

Method 

• Slit and deep-fry the green chillies in hot oil. Remove and keep aside. Roast and grind together the ingredients for the paste. Soak the tamarind in a cup of water and extract the pulp.
• Heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When they crackle, add the cloves and the curry leaves. Mix the sauteed onion paste and stir for 3 minutes. Add the salan paste and continue stirring. 
• Pour 15 ml of water at intervals to avoid the paste sticking to the pan. Add the tamarind pulp and 50 ml of water. Stir for 5 minutes until the gravy resembles the consistency of the sauce.
• Add salt and the fried chillies to the hot gravy. Boil the gravy for a minute. Remove and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

Tomato Salan

Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes 

Servings-6 

Ingredients 

• 5 tablespoons oil 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds  
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds  
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds  
• 1 inch of cinnamon  
• A sprig of curry leaves 
• 1 finely chopped onion 
• 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste 
• 5 to 6 tomatoes 
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder 
• 1 tablespoon coriander powder  
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder  
• 1 teaspoon garam masala powder 
• Salt to taste 
• Sugar to taste 
• 1 small tamarind
• ¼ cup curd

For Roasting and Grinding: 

• 1.5 tablespoons of peanuts 
• 1.5 tablespoons of sesame seeds 
• 2 tablespoons of grated coconut

Method 

• Start by dry roasting peanuts till they change colour; add sesame seeds and coconut; and roast for a few more minutes. Put this in a blender and make it into a fine puree. 
• Heat oil, add all the whole spices and curry leaves, and sauté for a minute. Add in the onions and cook till golden. 
• Now add in the ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a minute. Add all the spice powder and mix well. Add in the ground masala, water, tamarind, curd, salt, and jaggery. 
• Bring this to a boil, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the oil separates. Meanwhile, cut the tops of the tomatoes. Now add in the tomatoes, cover, and simmer for 15 more minutes until the tomatoes are cooked.

Baigan Ka Salan

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings-4 

Ingredients:

• 2 large eggplants
• 2 tablespoons of oil 
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped 
• 2-3 green chillies, split lengthwise 
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste 
• 2 medium tomatoes, finely chopped 
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder 
• 1 tablespoon red chilli powder (adjust to taste) 
• 1 tablespoon of tamarind paste 
• 1 teaspoon jaggery or sugar (optional) 
• Salt to taste 
• Fresh coriander leaves for garnishing 

Method: 

• Wash the eggplants and cut them into 1-inch cubes. Soak the eggplant cubes in salted water for 10–15 minutes to reduce bitterness. Drain and set aside. 
• Heat oil in a large pan or kadai over medium heat. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter. Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Sauté until the onions turn golden brown. 
• Stir in the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute until the raw smell disappears. Add the chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Mix well and cook until the tomatoes are soft and the oil starts to separate from the masala. 
• Add the soaked eggplant cubes to the masala and stir gently to coat them with the spices. Cook for a couple of minutes. Dissolve the tamarind paste in 1/4 cup of warm water and pour it into the pan. Add jaggery or sugar, and season with salt to taste. Mix well. 
• Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for about 15–20 minutes or until the eggplants are tender, stirring occasionally. If needed, you can add a little water to adjust the consistency of the curry. Once the eggplants are cooked, turn off the heat. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Gosht Ka Salan 

Total Time: 40 minutes 

Servings-2 

Ingredients 

• 500 g of mutton pieces 
• 1/2 cup hung curd 
• 2 onions 
• 2 tomatoes 
• 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste 
• 1 teaspoon red chilli powder 
• 1 teaspoon of coriander powder 
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 
• 1 teaspoon garam masala 
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder 
• Coriander leaves 
• 1 tablespoon dry coconut 
• 2-3 green chillies 
• Mint leaves

Method 

• Heat oil in a large vessel, add sliced onions along with salt, and fry until the onions turn golden brown. Once done, keep it aside and let it cool down. 
• Now, grind the fried onions along with ginger-garlic paste, curd, tomatoes, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin seeds, garam masala, turmeric powder, coriander leaves, dry coconut, green chillies, and mint leaves. 
• Now, in the same pan, heat a generous amount of ghee, add black cardamom, bay leaves, mutton pieces, and salt, and fry until the mutton turns brownish. After that, add the ground paste to the pan and mix it well with the mutton pieces.
• Add water as required. Then cover the lid and let it cook for about 25–30 minutes. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning. Serve.

Bhindi Ka Salan

Total Time: 50 minutes 

Servings-4 

Ingredients

For the masala paste:

• 3 tablespoons of peanuts 
• 2 tablespoons of sesame seeds 
• 2 tablespoons of coconut

For frying bhindi: 

• 10 fresh okras 
• 3 teaspoons oil

For the curry: 

• 3 teaspoons of oil 
• ¼ teaspoons mustard seeds  
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds  
• 5 methi seeds 
• 1 onion, thinly sliced 
• 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste 
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder 
• ¾ teaspoon coriander powder 
• ½ teaspoon turmeric powder 
• Few curry leaves 
• 1 green chilli finely chopped 
• A few coriander leaves, finely chopped 
• ½ cup tamarind juice 
• ½ teaspoons of jaggery 
• Salt to taste 

Method 

• Dry roast peanuts, coconut, and sesame seeds till they turn fragrant. Blend to a smooth paste after cooling completely. 
• In the same pan, heat oil and fry the okras on medium heat. The okra has to turn golden brown. Keep aside. 
• Now in the same pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and methi seeds. fry till they splutter. Then add sliced onions and fry till they turn golden brown. 
• Add ginger-garlic paste and cook this till the raw smell is gone. Next, add red chilli powder, turmeric, coriander powder, green chilli, and curry leaves and fry for a minute.  
• Add the prepared peanut and sesame seed pastes. Pour in some water to make a thin paste. Cook this on a slow flame for 30 minutes. Then add chopped coriander, tamarind juice, jaggery, and salt.
• Once it comes to a boil, add the fried bhindi and cook on a slow flame for 5 minutes. Enjoy.