Mirchi Ka Salan — Chilli in Peanut-Sesame Gravy (मिर्ची का सालन)

Dry-roast the peanuts in a heavy pan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until they are a deep golden-brown with a toasted aroma and the skins blister and slip; remove them before they darken further, as carry-over heat in the pan will continue to colour them off the flame. In the same pan, dry-roast the sesame seeds until they turn light tan and begin to pop, then the dried coconut until it reaches an even golden colour, removing each batch immediately to a plate so that no one component scorches while another catches up. The cook is done when each carries its own distinct roasted fragrance — peanuts nutty and full, sesame faintly smoky, coconut sweet and caramel-edged.

Cool the roasted peanuts, sesame, and coconut, then rub the skins from the peanuts so the finished paste is not bitter where the charred skins would otherwise concentrate. Transfer all three to a grinder or stone mortar with a small amount of water and grind to a rough, cohesive paste — not smooth — stopping while the texture still has body, because a smooth paste will dissolve into the gravy rather than giving it structure and presence. Reserve two-thirds of the paste for the gravy and use the remaining third as stuffing for the chilies; the paste is ready when it holds its shape and carries a uniform deep-roasted colour throughout.

Slit each Bhavnagri chili lengthwise from tip to within 1 cm of the stem without severing it, keeping the chili in one piece so it holds the filling through a long simmer. Remove the seeds for milder heat. Pack a small amount of peanut-sesame paste into each cavity, pressing gently so the chili closes around the filling, and set aside.

Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-based pan over medium heat, add the mustard seeds, and wait until they splutter audibly — rushing this stage means the seeds will not release their sharp, volatile fragrance into the oil, and the whole tempering will taste flat. Add the cumin seeds and curry leaves; they will crackle and release fragrance within 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring, until they are a deep, even golden-brown throughout — no pale patches — confirmed by the colour of dark amber, because under-cooked onions leave a raw, sweet heaviness that never cooks out once the liquids go in.

Add the ground coriander, ground cumin, turmeric, and red chili powder to the onions and stir for 1–2 minutes over medium heat until the raw cereal smell of the powders disappears and the oil begins to separate at the edges of the pan, which tells you the spices have cooked in fat rather than merely steaming in moisture. Add the reserved two-thirds of the peanut-sesame-coconut paste and stir to incorporate. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes until the paste is fragrant and begins to colour, pressing it against the base of the pan so it fries rather than stews.

Pour in the strained tamarind water and stir well to lift everything from the base of the pan, bringing any concentrated paste into the body of the gravy so no pocket of it fries dry and turns acrid. Bring to a gentle simmer; the gravy should have a mid-bodied consistency at this stage — neither watery nor stiff. Taste for the balance of sourness, richness, and warmth, and adjust salt; the tamarind's acid must be present and distinct but must not dominate.

Lay the stuffed chilies into the simmering gravy in a single layer and cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes over low heat, because a vigorous boil will burst the chilies open and spill the stuffing before it has time to meld with the gravy. Turn the chilies once with care. The dish is done when the chili skin is completely soft — yielding without resistance to light pressure from a spoon — and the stuffing has begun to merge with the surrounding gravy; the salan should coat a spoon in a thick, continuous layer, and thin gravy indicates under-reduction.