I first had this fiery crushed green chilly mixture, many many years ago, made by a Maharashtrian lady. It fired up my taste buds, made my eyes water, my nose run, but I craved more. That day I ended up overeating my lunch because I wanted to keep eating more and more of this spirited dish. Over ate lunch because one cannot have this just as it is by the spoonfuls. You have to eat it with some sort of roti or rice.
Non heat eaters – REFRAIN!!
My taste buds start craving this, as soon as December starts fading away. The best spicy green chillies, come around January first week, and these make the best Thecha. I went hunting in the farmers market and came upon a lady selling only chillies. Luster green, shinning chillies. I did not have my camera with me ( a lesson learnt), else it would have made a very evocative and vocal picture.
This is a very quick recipe. Eat it with traditional, dal chawal, roti, khichdi, omelette – just about anything. If you are game to experiment – add to Kachumber, any vinaigrette, in yoghurt for a raita mix — let loose your imagination.
I used a mix of spicy and less spicy green chillies. You can use the entire lot as spicy green chillies, or less spicy ones. The less spicy chillies, will not give it the punch, but hey if you cannot stand too much spice, at least you will get a taste of this amazing chutney.
If you are allergic to the spice of the chillies – oil your hands before chopping, or wear gloves. If I have any sweat on my face, the vapour of the chillies sets my face on fire. I always, always use help for chilly chopping. If I have to do it myself, I use kitchen scissors.
This stays well in the refrigerator for a month or two. Use a clean spoon to take out as much as you need, (each time), and nothing will happen to it.
Enjoy! And do write back and tell me how you liked it.
- 1/2 Kg Spicy Green Chillies
- 1/2 Kg Less Spicy Green Chillies
- 15 pods garlic
- 1/2 Cup oil
- 2 Tbspn Jeera (Cumin) seeds
- 2 Tbspn Rai (mustard seeds)
- 3 +1 Tbspn + Tspn salt
- 1/2 Tspn Good quality hing (asafoetida)
- 3/4 Cup Grated Coconut packed
- 1 Tspn vinegar
- 1/4 Cup Curry Leaves packed
- Wash and dry the chillies.
- Cut each chilly into three pieces. The larger ones cut into four.
- Heat the oil, in a heavy bottomed pan, large enough to hold all the chillies.
- Add the jeera and rai and let it splutter.
- Add the hing and curry leaves. When the curry leaves crackle, add the garlic and coconut, and sauté well, till it browns a bit.
- Add the chillies and cook for 10 odd minutes - till it looses a little of its original colour.
- Add the salt and vinegar and cook for 5 more minutes.
- Take off the fire and cool down completely.
- Blend in a mixie, using pulsing action. Do not over blend and make into a chutney. Keep it coarse. Pieces of chillies should be seen.
- Store in sterile jars.
- Refrigerate. Shelf life is appx 1 to 2 months.