Thecha Recipe | Mirchi Thecha Chutney

Thecha recipe with step by step photos. Thecha is a side condiment that perks up any meal, especially if the dishes are bland. It is a spicy condiment from the Maharashtrian cuisine and usually made of green or red chillies with the addition of garlic, some herbs or spices and even coconut. My recipe features hot green chillies, crunchy peanuts and pungent garlic all coming together to create a spicy and the most flavorful thecha.

There are many variations of making Thecha. The most popular are thecha made with green chillies and red chillies. Like I have mentioned above, in this post I am sharing thecha made with peanuts and green chillies.

Basically this thecha chutney recipe is a coarsely pounded mixture made with peanuts, garlic and green chilies.

You can also call this thecha as peanut green chilli thecha or peanut thecha or shengdanayacha thecha as it is called in the Marathi language.

I make thecha two ways. One is the extra spicy and hot green chilli thecha made with only green chillies and the other is this version with a mix of green chillies and peanuts.

My mom would make thecha often with Onion Pakoda or Aloo Pakora or Vada Pav. Sometimes we would simply have it with some chapati or Jowar Bhakri (sorghum flat bread) or Bajra Bhakri (pearl millet flat bread). I also accompany it with paratha and even everyday simple dal and rice.

We also prefer thecha with two of our favorite Maharashtrian dishes – zunka bhakri (a thick gram flour preparation served with jowar bhakri) and Bharli Vangi (stuffed brinjal curry).

This peanut mirchi thecha is not too spicy or hot and goes well with any Indian meal. I make small quantities and keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

While making thecha i prefer to pound everything in a mortar-pestle. I have observed that the taste of thecha done in a mortar-pestle is much much better than the one done in a grinder or mixer. Somehow the grinder made one does not taste as good as the one made in the mortar-pestle.

How to make Thecha Recipe

1. Heat oil and then add the garlic and green chilies and sauté for some seconds on low heat. You need not make the garlic or green chillies brown. Just a light sautéing of the garlic and green chillies will do.

Then add the peanuts and sauté stirring often till they become crunchy. Set aside the thecha mixture to cool.

2. Once the mixture cools, take all of it in a mortar. Season with salt. Pound the mixture with the pestle till you get a semi coarse consistency.

You can opt to grind the sautéed thecha ingredients in a small grinder or blender. Do not grind at a stretch. Grind in intervals of some seconds to get coarse texture.

Transfer the thecha to a bowl. Cover with lid and refrigerate. Use within 2 to 3 days. Serve the thecha as a side condiment or with jowar roti or bajra roti or paratha or even with zunka bhakri or vada pav.

Few more tasty recipes for you!

• Peanut chutney
• Ginger chutney
• Schezwan sauce
• Coconut chutney

Step by Step Photo Guide Above

Thecha Recipe | Mirchi Thecha Chutney

Author: Dassana Amit

5 from 3 votes

This Thecha Recipe is a spicy, crunchy and coarsely ground chutney condiment made with green chillies (mirchi), peanuts and garlic. This flavorful Mirchi Thecha Chutney brings a lot of flavor and perks up your meals.

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Prep Time: 1 minute minute

Cook Time: 5 minutes minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes minutes

Servings3

CourseSide Dish

DietGluten Free, Vegan

CuisineIndian, Maharashtrian

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

• ▢ 3 tablespoons peanuts (raw) – with or without skin
• ▢ 3 to 4 green chilies – chopped roughly
• ▢ 6 to 7 garlic cloves – kept whole or halved
• ▢ 1 teaspoon oil
• ▢ salt as required

Instructions

• Heat oil in a small frying pan or tawa.
• Add the garlic and green chilies and sauté for 15 seconds on low to medium-low heat. There is no need to brown the garlic or green chillies.
• Add the peanuts and sauté stirring often till the peanuts become crunchy and crisp.
• Keep on stirring frequently, so that there is even browning and the peanuts do not get burnt.
• Set aside this thecha mixture to cool.
• In a mortar-pestle, add this mixture and crush till you get a semi-coarse powder.

  You can also choose to grind the sautéed ingredients in a small mixer-grinder jar or blender. Do not grind at a stretch, but grind in intervals of some seconds.
• Serve Thecha with bhakri, paratha, vada pav, batata vada and even as a side dish condiment with your everyday meal.

Notes

• Thecha keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge. Keep in a covered container. 
• For a more spicier thecha, increase the number of green chillies. 
• The recipe can be scaled to make for more servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 90kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1IU | Vitamin B1 (Thiamine): 1mg | Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin): 1mg | Vitamin B3 (Niacin): 2mg | Vitamin B6: 1mg | Vitamin C: 7mg | Vitamin E: 1mg | Vitamin K: 1µg | Calcium: 21mg | Vitamin B9 (Folate): 24µg | Iron: 1mg | Magnesium: 20mg | Phosphorus: 48mg | Zinc: 1mg

This Thecha recipe post from the archives, first published on January 2014 has been republished and updated on November 2022.