Dhingri Ka Salan
Salan is one of those dishes where the gravy does most of the talking. Here, roasted peanuts, sesame and coconut give it body and a slightly nutty richness, while tamarind cuts through all of that with a good hit of acidity. Mushrooms are a bit of an oddball guest at this party, but oyster mushrooms work surprisingly well. They soak up the gravy while keeping enough texture to remind you that you're eating mushrooms, not just a very enthusiastic sauce.
Ingredients
For the mushrooms
200 g oyster mushrooms, torn into large bite-sized pieces
1 tbsp neutral oil
A pinch of salt
For the gravy base
2 tbsp peanuts
1 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp fresh grated coconut
1 tsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp neutral oil
Whole spices
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp fenugreek seeds
2 dried red chillies
8–10 curry leaves
Aromatics
1 medium onion, about 120 g, thinly sliced
2 green chillies, slit
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
Spice powders
½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
½ tsp hot chilli powder, optional
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp cumin powder
For sourness
1 tbsp tamarind pulp, made by soaking 15 g tamarind in warm water
½ tsp jaggery
To finish
Salt, to taste
2 tbsp chopped coriander
250–300 ml hot water, plus more if required
Method
Prepare the gravy paste
Dry-roast the peanuts in a pan over medium heat until lightly browned.
Add the sesame seeds, coconut and poppy seeds. Roast gently until fragrant and just beginning to turn golden. Be careful not to burn the sesame or coconut, as they can turn bitter quite quickly.
Cool the mixture slightly, then grind with 60–80 ml water into a smooth paste. Keep aside.
Brown the mushrooms
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wide pan over high heat.
Add the oyster mushrooms in a single layer and season lightly with salt. Let them cook undisturbed for 2–3 minutes before tossing them.
Continue cooking until the mushrooms are lightly browned and caramelised. Remove and set aside.
This quick browning gives the mushrooms a deeper flavour and, more importantly, means they don't spend the entire cooking process absorbing water and turning soggy.
Build the salan
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-bottomed pan.
Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds. Once they begin to crackle, add the dried red chillies and curry leaves.
Add the sliced onions and cook over medium heat until deeply golden brown. This will take around 12–15 minutes. Don't rush this step. The onions provide much of the colour, sweetness and depth of the finished salan.
Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for about a minute.
Add the slit green chillies and stir through.
Cook the gravy
Add the turmeric, Kashmiri chilli powder, hot chilli powder, coriander powder and cumin powder.
Stir and cook for about 30 seconds, just enough to bloom the spices without letting them burn.
Add the peanut, sesame and coconut paste.
Cook over medium-low heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring frequently. The paste will thicken and the oil should begin to separate from it. This is your sign that the raw flavour of the ground ingredients has cooked out.
Add the tamarind
Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and about 250–300 ml hot water.
Stir well, season with salt and bring to a gentle simmer.
Cook uncovered for 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the gravy becomes glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
If it gets too thick, loosen it with a little more hot water.
Finish
Add the browned mushrooms and gently fold them into the gravy.
Simmer for just 3–4 minutes. Oyster mushrooms cook quickly, and prolonged cooking can make them stringy.
Taste and adjust the salt, tamarind or jaggery if necessary. The finished salan should have a rounded sourness rather than a sharp one.
Finish with chopped coriander.
Rest
Let the salan rest for 20–30 minutes before serving.
The resting time allows the tamarind, toasted nuts and spices to settle into each other, and the gravy becomes noticeably more cohesive.
Serve with Hyderabadi biryani, bagara rice, jeera rice, khameeri roti, rumali roti or naan.
The ideal consistency is silky and lightly thick, with the nuttiness of the peanut and sesame balanced by tamarind's acidity. The mushrooms should remain tender and slightly chewy, rather than soft or watery.