Though I have been staying in Maharashtra for over a decade now, it was just a couple of years ago I started exploring the local or traditional delicacies of this state beyond vada pavs and misal pavs. And I was surprised to see that many of the dishes felt really interesting to my Bengali palate. Especially the non vegetarian preparations. They have such a unique flavored spice mixes which varies from region to region even within the borders of Maharashtra. The one dish which I have perfected is Kaleji Masala. We Bengalis usually don't like chicken liver that much because of the smell it has. But the Marathi preparation of Kaleji fry has such a rustic flavor profile due to the addition of roasted coconut and a bunch of other ground spices. I will talk about this recipe some day which is now my absolute favorite. 

On my birthday, I had ordered Maharashtrian delicacies and with them came the freshly made mirchi thecha. Mirchi Thecha is a classic Maharashtrian accompaniment which pairs up best with different Bhakhri (wheat , jowar, ragi etc.) or even with normal rotis.  It is a fiery delectable combo made up of pounded green chillies, toasted garlic, peanuts and fresh coriander leaves.  

When we were having office before the pandemic hit, I used to look forward to the various kinds of thecha my colleagues used to bring. But the pandemic put an end to invading other's lunchboxes. But the maharashtrian meal I ordered after all this time rekindled my memories of having thecha. I thought of trying to make it at home. My maid gave a few tips and my mom tried to make it, and I must say it was a hit even the first time it was made. My mom doesn't usually have fondness for other cuisines but she literally went ga-ga over this. We found it so good that the first batch of Thecha only lasted 2 days and it was about 150 gm! 

Personally I feel this goes best with different Maharashtrian non vegetarian recipes to accompany your flatbread. They are best consumed fresh so people make small batches of Thecha and store it in the fridge for no more than 2-3 days. After that, the color and the taste of the thecha starts to change.

Traditionally thecha is made by pounding everything in a mortal pestle. The final texture should be somewhat course and not like a paste.  You can make this in a mixer grinder but then you cannot control the texture of the thecha. And in addition thecha tastes best when you make it the traditional way. But the effort it taskes that way is a put off for many.

So there is an easy tip to get the best taste without putting in too much effort of pounding. If you have a vegetable chopper then you can use it to chop the ingredients till its 50-60% done. Then transfer it to the mortar pestle and pound it to give the finial finish. I have tried and tested this method multiple times and now its my go to method of making thecha at home.

Checkout other accompaniment recipes on my blog:

• Bengali Tomato Chutney
• Pickled Onions - Sirke Wala Peyaz
• Lebanese Toum - Garlic Sauce

Equipment:

• Non stick pan
• Vegetable chopper
• Mortal Pestle / Mixer grinder

Recipe Video:

Some tips before you start

Tip 1: If you like or for extending the shelf life of Thecha you can also fry it again in a tbsp of oil on low heat for around 5-6 minutes. Now you can store the Thecha in a clean- dry airtight container and keep it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks easily.

Tip 2: To easily de-skin peanuts, dry roast them on a skillet for about 3-4 minutes stirring continuously. Let it cool down and then transfer them to a bowl and give a good shake. The skin will come off. 

Tip 3: This one is a killer tip. It is recommended to always pound the thecha in a mortar pestle the traditional way for the best taste instead of a mixer. But it is a lot of work that way. So as a hack you can use a hand held chopper to chop the thecha into smaller pieces and then transfer it to a mortar and pestle and pound it to the desired consistency. This helps in drastically reducing the effort to pound the ingredients and the taste still remains in tact as chopping the ingredients don't generate much heat unlike the grinder method.

Tip 4:  In a mixer grinder coarsely pulse the roasted peanuts and store it. You can use this coarsely ground peanut in your thecha or sabudana khichadi. This saves you a little effort in hand pounding the peanuts.

Method:

1. Dry roast the peanuts in a non stick pan for 3 to 4 minutes till black spots appear and the peanuts are fragrant. Keep stirring them continuously on medium flame. Keep aside and let it cool. Once cool rub the peanuts between your fingers and the skin will come off.

2. Heat oil in a non stick pan. Once hot temper the oil with whole jeera. Now add the whole garlic to the pan and sauté it for another 1 minute

3. Add the chopped green chilies and on medium flame sauté the green chilies for about 2 minutes. Keep stirring in between.

Note: If you are not a fan of spicy things, then go for the light green chilies which are less spicy by equally tasty. And if you want a really spicy thecha you can go for the dark green small ones. 

4. Add the deskinned whole peanuts, sauté for about 1 minute. Add salt as per taste.

5. Transfer the mixture to a mortar pestle or a chopper. Add chopped fresh coriander. If you are using a chopper, chop them till 3/4th chopped and then transfer to the mortar pestle for the final finish. Or from scratch, you can pound it to the desired texture in a mortar and pestle.

Note: You can also pulse them in a mixer grinder but the taste wont be as good.

Serve it with roti or bhakhri and your favorite vegetarian or non vegetarian dish.