Mirch ki sabzi is an easy Rajasthani side dish prepared with thick and long green chilies stir-fried with a mix of spices. It is a mildly spicy dish and is a great accompaniment with dal and rice or bread.
The recipe requires just oil, chilies, and spices. I’ve used the mild banana peppers for this recipe but depending on your heat preference you can use any variety of fresh green or red pepper.
The spices used in this mirch sabzi are a mix of whole and powdered spices like cumin, fennel, mustard seeds, coriander, dry mango powder, turmeric, and salt. In the end I drizzle some lime juice over the cooked peppers. Lime juice adds to the slightly tangy taste of banana pepper and also cuts the heat.
Chilies in Rajasthani Cuisine!
Rajasthan due to its hot and dry climate is a big chili growing region in India and which is probably why chilies play an important role in Rajasthani cuisine. We really love to celebrate our chilies with a variety of dishes like stuffed green chili where long green chili is stuffed with gram spices; or mirchi ke tipore which is like a quick chili pickle; or fried mirchi vada where the chili is stuffed with potato, coated in a gram flour batter and deep-fried, chili chutney, and many more.
Having left home 22 years ago, my chili capacity has largely reduced. When I go back to Jaipur, my friends often tease me about it. I am more of a “psuedo Rajasthani” as far as chili eating is concerned. I don’t even attempt to use the thin long hot green chili in my dishes and am content with milder varieties (after removing their seeds!) 🙂
This dish is a milder take on the traditional mirchi ke tipore. Mirchi ke tipore uses thin long green chilies that are very hot. It is typically used as a pickle, eaten sparingly, with a meal and not a side dish. With banana peppers, this chili stir-fry recipe or mirch ki sabzi is not as spicy as mirchi ke tipore and is perfect as a side.
If you like this recipe, It will really encourage me if you would consider leaving a comment after the recipe.
Rajasthani Mirch ki Sabzi
Ingredients (1cup = 240ml; 1tbsp = 15ml; 1tsp = 5ml)
- 4 Green Banana Peppers thick and long mild green chilies
- 1 tbsp oil (I’ve used grapeseed oil)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp dry mango powder (amchoor)
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- Juice of ½ lime
Instructions
- Wash, pat dry and cut the green chili into discs. Remove the seeds nearing the top of the chili.
- Mix all the powdered spices together in a bowl and keep aside.
- Heat oil in a wok or kadhai on medium-low heat. Add the cumin, mustard, fennel seeds.
- When the seeds start to sputter, add the chopped chili and the powdered sipices. Mix well till the chili is coated with oil and spices.
- Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes till the chili start to soften.
- Remove from heat, drizzle lime juice and serve hot.
Notes
- If you make this recipe with thinner and hotter varieties of chilies, you can use it as an Indian pickle and serve a little with the meal. Store it in an airtight jar for unto 3-4 days.
- For the hwole spices in tempering, if you don’t have everything, just use 2 tsp cumin seeds or you can also use panch phoran spice mix.
- Nutritional Information is approximate information for 1 of 3 servings
Food Blogger’s meet at a Secret cooking destination!
This recipe is part of our monthly Shh… Cooking secretly challenge Indian food bloggers group. Every month the group chooses one State’s cuisine; the participants are paired up and each gives the other two ingredients to use in a dish that is typical of that State. This month’s theme is Rajasthani cuisine. My partner for this month is Rafaeda, who blogs at The Big Sweet Tooth. She gave me two spices to cook with – fennel seeds and amchur powder. Those two are really versatile spices and allowed me to make almost any savory dish. I gave her ghee and cumin. Waiting to see what she creates with them 🙂
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This sabzi sounds so delicious and flavorful! I’d love to try this out with the bajji chilies we get so easily here in Bangalore. 🙂
Thanks! The bhaji chilies will also be perfect for the recipe. Depending on the chilies, the sabzi will be mild or spicy.
You know i had these mirchis with me till yesterday afternoon..it was a toss between bajii or pickle and i made a pickle… next time for sure will try out your recipe..looks delicious
A pickle is great too! But do let me know whenever you try this recipe… it’s super easy! Thanks for dropping by
Wow , mirchi sabzi looks so fiery. This sabzi was in my to do list for a long time but i can’t imagine the spiceness……..
Hey Sharanya,
I used mild peppers (and also removed the seeds!) for the sabzi so it wasn’t very spicy. The spiciness completely depends on the kind of chili you use.
These are perfect to have as a side with dal chawal or roti. Easy and quick to make… loved the use of milder banana chilies here that will suit the taste buds of those who can’t handle the heat of long Indian chilies!!
Rightly said Swati!
Even I can’t take the heat of a sabzi made of just the long and thin Indian chilies 🙂 Which is why made these with milder chilies.
I remember mom making this often earlier and one more with a bit of gramflour in it. Love this simple and easy stir fry, perfect as a main dish or as a side for those who can’t handle much heat.
Very true Renu! For me this is the closest dish to Mirchi ke tipore 🙂 a little spicy but not so much that I can’t eat it as a side. I usually add gramflour to bharwan or stuffed chilies but adding some to this will also be good.
Wow, that is super easy and super yummy. I love the spices used and the lime juice must give it a tang as well as cut the spices. Lovely share.
Thanks, Archana! It sure is super easy and yum 🙂
Mirchi subji with some dal chawal is what I am craving for right now. Your post tempts me to try out this stir fry soon. Using a milder variety of chili and deseeding must have lowered the heat of the chilies considerably.
Thanks, Poonam!
I am so happy that the recipe is tempting you the try the dish 🙂 Low heat is great when the sabji is used as side. You can make it with spicy chilies too and use it as a pickle instead.
This looks tasty and I love the flavours that have gone into it. Would love to try it sometime.
Thanks, Jayashree. I would love to know when you do try it 🙂
Wow such a easy and flavorful sabzi. Being a spice lover I would like to try this next time when I get mirchis.
Thanks, Narmadha!
I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Mirchi Sabzi looks very tasty surely it will be very aromatic with all the spices added in it. Whenever I bought mirchi our first preference is mirchi bajji, I will try this Sabzi by saving few mirchi’s.
Thanks, Venu!
The mirchi sabzi is a delicious and different side to any meal. Make it to add a kick to your spread 🙂
oooo, that is a geat one. I love these bullhorn chillies and love to cook with them as they have the aroma but not that heat. This will sure shot rule my world. yumm.
Thanks, Seema! I just learned that banana chillies are also called bullhorn chillies (and rightly so!) 🙂
Wow, Ashima what a mouthwatering recipe. Now I am waiting for my vegetable vendor if he bring this large size less spicy chilli. Loved this easy to make and a super yummy stir fry.
Thanks, Sujata! I am so glad you want to try the recipe and hope that the vendor brings some big chilies soon 🙂
Its a great cooking experience. I prepared the dish and was very testy. We loved it. Thank you so much.
Thank you for your feedback Rajen! I am so happy that you cooked the recipe and everyone in the family loved it 🙂
Your feedback really encourages me to continue exploring and sharing!