Besan Mirchi (Green chillies coated with Gram flour)...mommy's here!!

Besan Mirchi (Green chillies coated with gram flour)…because my mom has come visiting and she must must must cook everything that I love!!...these mirchis are normally eaten as an accompaniment to meals but I eat them as a snack, with my snacks, instead of meals and of course with my meals J

Besan Mirchi (Green chillies coated with Gram flour)

Ingredients:

• Fresh long/fat green chillies, about 250gms (refer to notes)
• Besan/ Chickpea Flour/Gram Flour, 2 heaped tablespoons
• Cumin seeds, 1 tsp
• Heeng/Asafoetida, ½ tsp
• Turmeric powder, ½ tsp
• Coriander powder, 3 tsp
• Saunf/Fennel seeds powder, 2 tsp
• Amchur/Dried mango powder, ¾ tsp
• Salt, to taste
• Oil, 1 tbsp

Instructions:

Wash the chillies well but don’t wipe them dry – you would need the water clinging onto them to help with the cooking. Cut the chillies into about ¾ inch long pieces.

Heat a flat heavy bottom pan on low heat and dry roast the besan till it changes colour to fairly light golden brown. Do constantly keep on stirring – it goes from the perfect colour to burnt in seconds.

Remove the besan from the pan into a bowl. Mix amchur into the besan and keep aside.

In the same pan, now heat the oil on low flame. Add the cumin seeds and asafoetida.

Once the cumin seeds start spluttering, add the chillies and sauté for a few minutes till the chilies till start going soft.

Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, fennel powder and salt. Mix well. Cover and cook for 2–3 minutes.

Remove the cover and sprinkle the besan (mixed with amchur, kept aside earlier) evenly on top of the chillies. Ensure the chillies are just moist enough so that flour sticks on to the chillies (if not, sprinkle a teaspoon or two of water)

Stir well but gently for 5 –6 minutes till the flour is cooked and sticks to the chillies.

Switch off the heat and let it cool.

Serve at room temperature (or even cold) with paranthas or dal and rice.

This can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Notes:

• Any kind of fat, long green chillies which are not too hot work well here …even capsicum/green bell peppers.  If the chillies are too hot, you can of course remove the seeds before using.

• Depending on the chilli variety you use, these mirchis will either remain slightly crunchy or go completely soft…tastes good either way.

• Don’t add too much besan as it clumps up and takes away from the flavor of the chillies.

• If you don’t have amchur, you can substitute with a couple of teaspoons of lime juice towards the end of cooking.