Green Chilli with Besan

I remember tasting this for the first time in the Gujarati Thali at the Rajdhani Restaurant. They had served it alongside the fried snacks and pickles. I gingerly picked up the whole chilli and wondered whether i could stomach it. Let alone stomach, i was not sure if i could eat it in the first place. But the crispy chilies which were coated with besan and a nice sweet and hot masala were yum and left me asking them for more helpings. Ever since, i have wanted to make it as an accompaniment for the thayir saadam ( curd rice) that i eat everyday or for dishes that are not hot enough.
I found organic green chilies at the nearby supermarket and picked them up with this dish in mind. Got back home and immediately set out to make the green chilies with gram flour. The chilies were large, not too hot and were perfect for the side dish. It gets done without much fuss.

Prep Time - 5 mins
Cooking Time - 30 mins

Ingredients:
Green Chilies              About 10-15

For the masala
Saunf ( fennel seeds)          -  half a tsp
Ajwain (Carom seeds)       -  half a tsp
Hing ( Asafoetida )             - a large pinch
Coriander Seeds                -  half a tsp , crushed well
Salt                                    - to taste
Sugar                                 - 1 tsp
Jeera Powder                     - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric                             - One large pinch
Besan (Gram Four)             - 3 tbsp
Oil                                      - 2 tbsp

Preparation
Wash the chilies well.

Wipe and dry the chilies. Halve the chilies and then slit them lengthwise. You could also make diagonal slices if the chilies are too hot.

Heat a large pan and add 2 tbsp of oil to it. Add in the saunf, Ajwain and hing to it.

Stir it around for a minute and add the chilies to it.

Let the chilies cook and get coated with the tadka. This could take about 15 mins when you cover and cook it. Check whether the chillies have wilted and changed color.
Once it is done, add the rest of the ingredients. I like the nutty taste of the coriander and hence added the seeds. But many people don't like it as a whole spice. You could add coriander powder instead.

Make sure to stir it well so that the masala and the gram flour evenly coat the chilies and that there are no lumps in the gram flour. Fry until the raw smell of the besan goes off. If you want to speed up the cooking time, then you could add the besan after it is dry roasted.
Once done, turn off the heat and let it cool. You could store it in an air tight box and serve it alongwith paratha, khichdi, curd rice or eat it just like that :).