Authentic Green Chilli Kharda Recipe | Spicy Thecha
Learn how to make authentic Maharashtrian Green Chilli Kharda (Thecha) at home! This spicy, garlicky, peanut-infused chutney is perfect with warm bhakri.
Ingredients
- Green Chillies: A mix of light green mild and dark green (spicy) chillies. Wash, wipe, and remove the stems.
- Garlic: 1 whole bulb around 20-25 peeled cloves. Garlic balances the spice!
- Cumin Seeds: 1/2 teaspoon lightly roasted.
- Fresh Coriander Leaves: A handful washed and drained well.
- Peanuts: 1/2 small bowl of roasted peanuts.
- Salt: 1 teaspoon Kharda requires slightly more salt than regular dishes.
- Cooking Oil: 1 to 2 teaspoons for sautéing.
- Lemon Juice: 1 teaspoon optional, for a tangy kick.
- Curry Leaves & Mustard Seeds: Optional if you prefer a traditional tempering at the end.
Instructions
- Roast the Chillies and Garlic: Heat an iron skillet (tawa). Add your prepared green chillies and garlic cloves. Roast them until they develop slight blistered spots, then remove them from the heat.
- Combine Ingredients: In a mixer jar (or a traditional mortar and pestle), add the roasted green chillies, garlic cloves, lightly roasted cumin seeds, and fresh coriander leaves.
- Pulse, Do Not Puree: Pulse the mixer using an "on-off" motion just twice. You want a coarse texture, not a smooth paste.
- Add Peanuts and Salt: Add the peanuts and salt to the coarsely crushed mixture. Pulse the mixer once again using the "on-off" method.
- Heat Oil in the Skillet: In the same iron skillet used for roasting, heat 1-2 teaspoons of oil over a medium flame. (Optional: You can add finely chopped curry leaves and cumin seeds to the hot oil here).
- Sauté the Kharda: Transfer the coarsely crushed chilli mixture into the hot skillet. Sauté on medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add Lemon and Cool: Turn off the flame. If using, mix in the lemon juice now. Spread the mixture out in the skillet and let it cool down openly.