JFI -- Chillies -- Phodnichya Mirchya

'Phodnichya Mirchya' is a Maharashtrian side dish, served on the left side of the plate. 'Phodni' means 'Tadka' and 'Mirchya' means 'Chillies'. So basically, its a simple stir fry recipe with loads of flavor. Although, looking at the recipe might make you think that it will be very hot, but if you choose the right kind of chillies, you won't feel a thing, I promise. I am sure of this because my hubby too is scared of eating hot stuff, so I cannot afford to make things extra hot :).
This is a recipe that has been passed down from my grandmother (maternal) to my mom, and from her to me. This can be made in two ways, the first one is, with potatoes and the other way is using just green chillies. It tastes great with Rice and dal or curd rice and even with chapatis. This is my entry for JFI--Chillies, hosted by Nandita of Saffron Trail, originally started by Indira.

Ingredients:
7 green chillies chopped into small pieces
1/2 a medium sized potato, thinly sliced into small triangular pieces (optional)
3 tsp daanyacha koot (roasted peanut powder)
1 tsp grated coconut (fresh or dried) (optional)
1/2 tsp mohri (mustard seeds)
1/2 tsp jeere (cumin seeds)
1/4 tsp hing (asafoetida)
1/2 tsp halad (turmeric)
1 tbsp oil for phodni (tadka)

Method:
Choose fresh green chillies that are thick and long. These chillies are generally not that hot. If you go with small, slender chillies, the dish will become too hot (like Thai chillies). Now chop these chillies into small pieces. Next, peel the potato and make small, thin triangular pieces like this,

Normally, the chillies and potato should be in equal proportion, but today, I have used a little more potato than usual. You can also skip the potato entirely and make this with chillies only. It tastes amazing!
Now, in a pan, heat the oil and then add the mustard seeds. Once they start popping, add the cumin seeds. Let them sizzle and then add the hing and halad. Now throw in the sliced potato and the chillies in the pan. Let them cook and turn a little golden brown. Keep stirring. The chillies should become slightly crunchy. Once that is done, the next step is to mix in the roasted peanut powder and grated coconut (if using). Add some salt and mix well. Take it off from the heat and store in a clean container. This lasts for upto 4-5 days in the fridge. Enjoy it with your lunch or dinner alongside your favorite veggie, and pretty soon you will get hooked on to it!