Made using fresh green chilies and garlic, Thecha is a Maharashtrian accompaniment that is served with Bhakri. It is like a spicy chutney which perks up any meal.
If you are looking to make more Maharashtrian recipes, then try some of my favorites from the blog – Misal Pav, Bharli Vangi, Sabudana Thalipeeth, and Masale Bhat.
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About This Recipe
Thecha is a Maharashtrian accompaniment made using fresh green chilies and garlic along with a few other spices. It is basically a coarsely pounded chutney.
This Green Chilli Thecha will spice up your meals and will make them even more interesting. Prepared with just 4 ingredients, this one is extremely popular in Maharashtrian cuisine and is made in almost every household.
The first time I prepared Green Chilli Thecha or as it is called Hirvi Mirchi Thecha, I was totally hooked to it. The spiciness from the green chilies and the extra heat from garlic made it an instant favorite. Since that day, I often make it at home to serve as a side dish, as it just perks up my simple everyday meals in a second.
And this Thecha is super easy to make and gets ready in under 15 minutes. The spiciness of the Thecha also depends on the chilies. The more spicy your chilies are, the spicier will be your Thecha.
This spicy Thecha is just delicious and its combo with Jowar Bhakri, Rice Bhakri or Whole Wheat Bhakri is just a bomb. Serve some sliced Kanda/Onions on the side too.
Chilies are cooked and then crushed along with garlic, cumin seeds, and salt. Some Maharashtrian houses even add roasted crushed peanuts in this Thecha, which adds a beautiful crunch and also compensates the spice a little.
This Thecha is,
- Spicy
- Delicious
- Easy + Quick
- Made with just 3 ingredients
- A Maharashtrian favorite
Ingredients
You will need just 4 ingredients, Green Chilies, Salt, Cumin Seeds and Garlic.
You can either use the spicy green chilies or even the mild varieties if you like it to be less spicy.
Some people add roasted peanuts/shengdana in the Thecha, which adds a beautiful crunch.
How to make Thecha?
Keep a heavy bottom pan on heat. You can also make it on a large iron tawa.
Add green chilies to the pan and fry on high heat until they are blistered. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
Once blistered, remove the chilies on a plate.
Add oil in the same pan. Add cumin seeds in hot oil and let them crackle for a few seconds. Now add garlic cloves and mix everything.
Switch off the heat and add cumin seeds and garlic along with the green chilies to the plate and let everything cool down for 5 minutes.
Add green chilies and garlic mixture to a large mortar and pestle and make a coarse paste. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can also crush the ingredients in a food processor. Just make sure to keep it coarse and not pasty.
Add salt in the mortar and pestle and continue to grind it.
Once everything is mixed properly, it is ready to serve.
Frequently Asked Questions
It depends on how spicy you want your Thecha to be. If you like it to be less spicy, use a light green variety of chilies, but if you like it to be nice and spicy, you can opt for a dark green variety of chilies.
Yes, if you like to make a variation, you can use fresh red chilies too. Use the same ingredients and process, just substitute green chilies with red chilies.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Hirvi Mirch Thecha along with Jowar Bhakri, Wheat Bhakri, or Rice Bhakri with some sliced Kanda on the side. Zunka and Pithla are mostly served along with it in a thali. You can serve it as a side dish with your everyday meals.
Thecha is served as a spicy chutney, a little goes a long way. Serve just 1 tsp of it first. people can later take more servings if they wish to.
I really enjoy it with Dal Chawal along with some Batata Bhaji on the side too. You can also serve it on the side with some delicious Mutton Curry and Bhakri.
Storage Suggestions
This delectable Green Chilli Thecha will last in the fridge for 5-6 days when stored in an airtight container. Take it out from the fridge a few minutes before you want to enjoy it.
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Recipe Card
Thecha Recipe
Ingredients
- 150 gram fresh green chili
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ¼ cup whole peeled garlic cloves
- salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Keep a heavy bottom pan on heat. You can also make it on a large iron tawa.
- Add green chilies to the pan and fry on high heat until they are blistered. Keep stirring at regular intervals.
- Once blistered, remove the chilies on a plate.
- Add oil in the same pan. Add cumin seeds in hot oil and let them crackle for a few seconds. Now add garlic cloves and mix everything.
- Switch off the heat and add cumin seeds and garlic along with the green chilies to the plate and let everything cool down for 5 minutes.
- Add green chilies and garlic mixture to a large mortar and pestle and make a coarse paste. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can also crush the ingredients in a food processor. Just make sure to keep it coarse and not pasty.
- Add salt in the mortar and pestle and continue to grind it.
- Once everything is mixed properly, it is ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!