Talela Marcha Fried Green Chilli Gujarati

Method

1. 1

   Roast sesame seeds: Place sesame seeds in a dry pan on low heat. Roast stirring for 2 minutes until they turn golden and some pop. Remove immediately — sesame burns fast. Cool.

2. 2

   Roast the peanuts: In the same dry pan roast peanuts stirring for 4 minutes until skins blister. Cool, rub to remove skins, crush coarsely — not powdered.

3. 3

   Make the filling: In a small bowl combine roasted sesame seeds, crushed peanuts, cumin powder, coriander powder, amchur, turmeric, sugar and salt. Mix well. Taste — should be tangy from amchur, nutty and well-seasoned.

4. 4

   Prepare the chillies: Wash the large green chillies. Make a slit down the length of each — from below the stem to the tip — without cutting all the way through. The chilli should open like a pocket. Scrape out some or all seeds depending on your heat preference.

5. 5

   Fill each chilli: Push a generous spoonful of the sesame-peanut filling into each slit chilli. Press it in firmly. Close the chilli gently around the filling.

6. 6

   Heat oil: Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wide flat pan on medium heat.

7. 7

   Place filled chillies in the oil: Lay the filled chillies in the pan in a single layer. The filling side should face upward initially.

8. 8

   Cook first side: Cook without touching for 2 to 3 minutes until the bottom side blisters and turns golden. You will hear gentle sizzling.

9. 9

   Turn and cook all sides: Carefully turn the chillies using tongs. Cook each side for 1 to 2 minutes until all sides are blistered and slightly golden. The chilli skin will turn from bright green to a darker, slightly shrunken, blistered appearance — this is correct.

10. 10

    Serve immediately: Place on a plate. Serve as a side dish with dal and rice or chapati. The chilli itself will be soft and slightly charred; the filling inside will be warm and nutty.

11. 11

    Note: Talela Marcha (talela = fried, marcha = chilli) is found across Gujarati homes and restaurants as a popular side preparation. In Gujarat, having a fried stuffed chilli alongside the meal is normal and welcomed. The sesame-peanut filling is specifically Gujarati. In different households the filling changes — some use coconut, some use gram flour — but sesame and peanut is the most common version across the state.